Spain Declares End to Worst Recorded Wildfire

Xinhua Finance, Beijing, September 1 – Virginia Barcones, Director of Spain’s Civil Protection and Emergencies, announced at a press conference on August 31 that the country’s worst recorded forest fire has been "declared over," transitioning into a phase of vigilance and permanent monitoring. The wildfires have resulted in 4 deaths.

She stated that the large-scale simultaneous forest fires occurring across multiple regions of Spain over 20 days have now been officially "declared over." However, as the high-risk season for wildfires continues, disaster prevention operations remain ongoing, and the government will maintain a state of alert, "mobilizing all available national resources for continuous monitoring."

According to EFE News, Spanish authorities received 93 reports of forest fires in August, with 59 reaching a Level 2 warning status; 39 of these fires burned over 500 hectares and were classified as "major wildfires."

Citing data from the European Forest Fire Information System, AFP reported that the area burned by wildfires in Spain in August exceeded 350,000 hectares, the highest since records began in 2006, with particularly severe damage in the north and west. These wildfires caused 4 deaths, 48 injuries, and the evacuation of thousands of people.

The Spanish government deployed all available firefighting resources, with several European countries also sending firefighting support.

The fire department attributed the rapid spread of the fires largely to persistent high temperatures driven by climate change, with temperatures reaching or exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of Spain. Strong winds over multiple days further fueled the flames.