Wildfires Tear Through Iberian Peninsula with 6 Reported Dead

(MENAFN) Wildfires continue to rage across the Iberian Peninsula, with the combined death toll climbing to six—four fatalities reported in Spain and two in Portugal—as emergency crews struggle to contain dozens of blazes threatening lives and infrastructure.

Spain is currently battling over 40 active fires, with roughly two-thirds concentrated in the Castilla and Leon region, media reported on Monday.

Infrastructural disruptions persist, with a major high-speed rail line between Madrid and Galicia suspended for a fifth straight day. Sixteen regional roads have also been shut due to fire activity.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told broadcaster Cadena SER, adding, “its 20 years of existence” had never seen Spain’s Military Emergency Unit face fires of this magnitude.

The scope of destruction in Spain is vast, with more than 115,000 hectares (284,171 acres) scorched and thousands forced to evacuate. With temperatures forecasted to soar to 44°C (111°F), Spain’s national weather agency Aemet has issued a red alert across several regions.

Meanwhile in Portugal, wildfires have burned 185,753 hectares (459,100 acres) as of August 18, surpassing the total area destroyed in all of 2024, according to media.

Though some fire fronts have begun to ease, local officials in the central city of Covilha warned Monday that the blaze there remains out of control. More than 80 municipalities remain at maximum fire risk, based on the latest assessments from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

Portugal’s government has extended a nationwide fire alert, in effect since August 2, through at least Tuesday due to extreme heat and dry conditions.

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