Over 1,000 Evacuated as Wildfires Ravage Northwest Spain

More than 1,000 people were evacuated on Sunday in north-western Spain as wildfires, fuelled by scorching temperatures and strong winds, swept through the region, according to local authorities.

Around 400 residents were displaced in and around the town of Carucedo, while a further 700 were forced to leave several towns near Las Médulas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former Roman gold-mining area famed for its striking red landscape.

The head of the regional government of Castile and León, Alfonso Mañueco, said experts suspect arson in several of the blazes. “We will be relentless with the perpetrators of these attacks against the lives and safety of people, as well as our historical and natural heritage,” he wrote on X.

Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME) has deployed nearly 60 soldiers and 20 vehicles to support a large firefighting operation involving aircraft and bulldozers working to carve firebreaks.

Firefighters reported that soaring temperatures, low humidity, and erratic winds were hampering efforts to contain the flames.

Wildfires were also burning in the northern regions of Galicia and Navarre, as Spain endured a second week of intense heat, with temperatures nearing 40°C (104°F) in many areas.

The extreme heat is forecast to persist until at least Thursday. Civil protection authorities have warned of high to extreme wildfire risk across much of the country.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X that he was “closely following the wildfires” and expressed gratitude to emergency teams “for their tireless efforts.”