The worst wildfires in Spain in 20 years. Depopulated villages in the fire of risk

Spain is ravaged by a wave of wildfires not seen in two decades. Although the immediate causes are heat and lack of rainfall, scientists emphasize that this is only part of the truth. Fire spreads particularly easily where villages are depopulated and land remains neglected. The consequences are serious – from the devastation of landscapes to record-breaking emissions of harmful substances.

Record emissions of particulate matter

The latest data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service show that wildfires in Spain have raised emissions of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) to their highest level since 2003. Just a few days of intense fires were enough to surpass the total annual emissions limit set for 2025. Copernicus also warns that in many regions of the country, concentrations of particulate matter exceed WHO safety standards. The most critical situation is in Galicia, where firefighters in recent days battled twelve large wildfires.

Wildfires in Spain: heat, oxygen and fuel

Spanish researchers from the University of Navarra – José Manuel Cabrero, César Martín-Gómez and Rayder Willian Leonardo Laura – published an article on The Conversation linking the recent wildfires in Spain to the degradation of rural areas. They point out that fire needs three factors to ignite and persist: high temperature, oxygen, and fuel. The latter may be dry plants or tree branches. When fire encounters them in degraded rural areas, it gains an easy path to spread into new regions. This mechanism occurs not only on abandoned farmland but also in forests lacking rational management.

The Spanish scientists note that while heat and oxygen levels are beyond human control, the third factor driving wildfires in Spain can to some extent be reduced. Extinguishing fire should be the very last resort – when it comes to that stage, it is already too late. The key is active landscape management to keep natural fuel under control – they stress in their article.

Are there chances to stabilize the situation?

According to the meteorological agency Aemet, weather conditions in Spain are expected to improve. Temperatures will drop and air humidity will rise. Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, president of the region of Castile and León, announced that the fires are already becoming less intense. Residents of Galicia are still waiting for rain – as firefighters say, only rainfall can stop the spread of fire.

However, a change in weather alone cannot solve Spain’s wildfire problems. Scientists from the University of Navarra stress the need for a strategic approach and solutions that bring long-term results. Forests and their biodiversity may play a fundamental role. Sustainable forest management can not only increase ecosystems’ resilience to fire but also provide access to raw materials and create jobs for rural communities.

The second pillar of prevention is the use of GIS tools. Emergency services in Navarra have already implemented such a system, gaining the ability to precisely map risk, plan access routes, and monitor threatened areas.

A rational approach to preventing disasters is well expressed by a saying popular among Spanish foresters: Summer wildfires are extinguished in winter. To be effective, efforts cannot be limited to short-term actions. Thoughtful, long-term initiatives are needed to permanently transform the character of depopulated rural areas in Spain.