Spain continues to tackle several major wildfires in one of the country's most destructive fire seasons in recent decades, despite temperatures dropping across the Iberian Peninsula.
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The humid weather and rainfall have provided some relief to Spanish authorities in their fight against the fires that have been ravaging much of the country for weeks, at a time when more than 391,000 hectares have already been burned so far this year, according to data from the European Forest Fire Information System.
Although 40 fires are still active across the country, recent rain, especially in the province of León, could help firefighters control the situation there, allowing authorities to focus their efforts on other areas.
On Wednesday, the president of the Castile and León region, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, said that firefighting efforts are progressing favourably thanks to improved weather conditions.
Mañueco also presented an aid plan for those affected, which includes €500 in aid for those who have had to evacuate their homes and up to €185,000 for those who have lost their homes to the flames.
The situation in Castile and León is progressing "significantly" and favourably, as indicated by the president of the autonomous community, partly thanks to the change in weather conditions, which have improved significantly.
"Conditions are favourable and significant progress is being made in extinguishing the fire," Mañueco reported, emphasising that "when circumstances allow, the operation works effectively."
Fires in Galicia have ravaged small, sparsely populated towns, forcing locals in many cases to step in before firefighters arrive.
Firefighting units from Germany arrived in northern Spain on Tuesday to help fight the blazes, Spain's Interior Ministry announced. More than 20 vehicles were deployed to help fight an ongoing blaze in Jarilla in the Extremadura region that borders Portugal, the ministry said.
In Galicia, land management has also played a role. Large stretches of unmanaged vegetation and depopulated villages in forested land have led to the buildup of wildfire fuel, said Adrian Regos, an ecologist at the Biological Mission of Galicia, a research institute.
Air quality deteriorated across large parts of Spain over the past week as a result of the wildfires, data from the EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring agency showed. Smoke from the Iberian Peninsula fires reached France, the UK, and Scandinavia, it said.
Several fires have been caused by human activity. Police have detained 37 people for suspected arson and are investigating 89 more, Spain's Civil Guard said Tuesday.
In Portugal, more than 3,700 firefighters were tackling blazes, including four major ones in the north and centre.
Wildfires there have burned about 235,000 hectares, according to EFFIS — nearly five times more than the 2006-2024 average for this period. Two people there have died.
Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to Copernicus. Scientists say that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in parts of Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.