Spain Battles Record Wildfires Amidst Dropping Temperatures, International Aid Deployed

Spain is grappling with one of its most devastating wildfire seasons in recent decades, with major blazes continuing to rage across the country as of Tuesday, despite a recent drop in temperatures across the Iberian Peninsula. Thousands of firefighters, supported by military personnel and water-bombing aircraft, are intensely battling the infernos tearing through parched woodlands, particularly severe in northwestern Spain’s Galicia region, where the fire risk remains ‘very high or extreme’.

The fires in Galicia have ravaged small, sparsely populated towns, often forcing residents to act as first responders. International assistance has arrived, with firefighting units from Germany deploying to northern Spain on Tuesday. More than 20 vehicles have been dispatched to aid in extinguishing a significant blaze in Jarilla, Extremadura, near the Portuguese border.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the affected areas on Tuesday, emphasizing the role of record heat in fueling the fires. “Science tells us, common sense tells us too… that the climate is changing, that the climate emergency is becoming more and more recurrent, more frequent and has an ever greater impact,” Sánchez stated. This year, wildfires in Spain have tragically claimed four lives and scorched over 382,000 hectares – more than double the size of metropolitan London. Many fires are attributed to human activity, with police detaining 23 individuals for suspected arson and investigating 89 others.

Neighboring Portugal is also battling its own wildfire crisis, with over 3,700 firefighters tackling blazes, including four major incidents in the north and center. Portuguese fires have consumed approximately 235,000 hectares, nearly five times the average for this period since 2006, and have resulted in two fatalities. Scientists warn that Europe, warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, is increasingly vulnerable to wildfires due to climate change exacerbating heat and dryness.

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