Spain sees progress in wildfire battle despite risks from new heatwave

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Tuesday that Spain is beginning to see “light at the end of the tunnel” in its battle against the major wildfires still burning across the country, although he warned that the coming hours would remain challenging.

Speaking at his traditional press conference before the summer break, Sánchez also lashed at climate denialism, calling it “the worst possible fuel for tackling the climate emergency; it makes us much more vulnerable”. He added that reaching a cross-party deal on climate was “an imperative, not an option”

Sánchez called for extreme caution as Spain faces soaring temperatures and a new heatwave forecast by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), which is expected to make firefighting more difficult and increase the risk of wildfires across much of the country. Although some of the major fires are improving, Sánchez said this was not the time to lower precautions.

Fire crews are working on the fires in Ávila and those affecting San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Villa del Prado, in the region Madrid, treating them as a single major fire because the fire fronts have merged. The emergency continues to have a serious impact on local communities.

According to the latest government figures, nearly 100,000 people have been affected in Castile and León, the Community of Madrid and Castile-La Mancha. More than 63,000 have been evacuated, while another 35,000 remain confined to their homes.

Speaking to TVE on Tuesday morning, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said work over the past few days had produced “reasonably positive” results.

He said night-time operations had been effective and that the priority was now to build on the progress made on the ground. He added that enough resources had been deployed, but said Spain also needed to strengthen wildfire prevention and modernise its aerial firefighting fleet.

Spain lifts evacuation orders in 13 municipalities

Spain lifted evacuation orders in 13 municipalities in two wildfire-affected areas at 17:00 (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said.

It was not immediately clear how many residents were covered by the measure or whether they would be able to return home immediately. Even so, the move was another sign of progress in Spain’s battle against the wildfires.

Extreme temperatures hamper firefighting efforts

Despite overnight improvements, authorities remain on maximum alert. A new heat dome is expected to bring extreme temperatures, very dry air and stable atmospheric conditions, which could reignite hotspots and hamper firefighting efforts in the fires affecting Ávila, Madrid, Toledo and Castellón.

Investigators believe the fire started when heavy machinery was used without authorisation in a forested area near Burgohondo. Since then, the flames have devastated large parts of the Alberche Valley, the Sierra de Gredos, Tierra de Pinares, the Tiétar Valley and the area around the El Burguillo reservoir.