Spain stabilizes major wildfire as over 123,000 hectares burn nationwide

The La Mierla fire, which broke out on July 16 and was allegedly caused by agricultural activity, has become Spain’s second-largest wildfire this century, public broadcaster RTVE reported.

Officials expressed “reasonable optimism” over efforts to contain the blaze, allowing residents of five towns to return home. However, 29 of the 34 rural communities initially evacuated remain under evacuation orders, while 14 others are under confinement orders.

The situation remains difficult around Condemios due to active flames and strong winds forecast to hit the area Thursday.

Another fire in Selas, in the Alto Tajo region, burned around 2,700 hectares within 24 hours and prompted the evacuation of six towns. Residents have since been allowed to return after firefighters contained the blaze’s most concerning flank.

The European Union’s Copernicus satellite monitoring system estimates that more than 123,000 hectares have burned across Spain so far this year, four times the area recorded during the same period in 2025.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a “grand national pact against the climate emergency,” warning that the crisis “kills” and must be addressed beyond partisan divisions.

Elsewhere, authorities ordered the evacuation of Villanueva de las Cruces, a town of about 380 residents in the southern province of Huelva, as a rapidly advancing fire burned more than 1,200 hectares and forced the closure of the A-475 highway.

In the northwestern province of Leon, around 200 people were evacuated from San Pedro Castanero and Turienzo Castanero, while the Military Emergency Unit was deployed to help contain the fire.

The village of Rabano de Aliste in Zamora was confined as another blaze threatened the settlement, while a fire in Burgohondo, Avila, was raised to severity Level 2 after burning more than 300 hectares.

The fires come as Spain experiences a heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 42C (107.6F) in several regions and red alerts issued for highs of up to 46C (114.8F).