Spain is facing 20 major forest fires in the context of fierce heat, making fire control difficult. The government has deployed 500 more soldiers for military emergency units, bringing the total number of soldiers mobilized nationwide to 1,900 to support firefighters.
The northwest province of Galicia was hit hard, as multiple fires combined into a major fire, forcing the closure of highways and railways. People in Villardevos village had to use buckets of water to put out the fire because of a power outage and the inability to operate pumps. Basilio Rodriguez, a resident, said fire trucks could not reach the area, while Lorea Pascual described the situation as unbearable.
According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, since June, 27 people have been arrested and 92 people are being investigated on suspicion of arson. Over the past week, fires have claimed three lives and burned more than 115,000 hectares of forest. The national meteorological agency AEMET warned that the temperature could reach 45 degrees Celsius, increasing the risk of a widespread fire.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Ourense, one of the hardest hit areas, that the coming days will be full of challenges as the weather does not support firefighting efforts. Virginia Barcones, General Director of Emergency Services, also said the current weather conditions were very unfavorable, but hoped the temperatures would cool down from midweek.
Meanwhile, neighboring Portugal is also going through a severe forest fire season, with more than 155,000 hectares burned down since the beginning of the year, three times the average of many years. Currently, thousands of firefighters are fighting eight major fires in the central and northern regions.
