Wildfires Sweep Across Thousands of Hectares in Central and Northern Spain

Several large wildfires are burning across central and northern Spain, scorching tens of thousands of hectares and forcing hundreds of evacuations. The largest fire, located 100 kilometers north of Madrid in Guadalajara province, has burned over 13,000 hectares since Thursday and is described as 'difficult' by regional authorities. Another fire near Orés in Zaragoza province has burned approximately 15,400 hectares. No casualties have been reported. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged the climate emergency, stating that denying it only increases vulnerability. The EU is preparing a climate adaptation plan by year-end, as last year saw the highest recorded hectares burned in Europe—around one million. The wildfire season has started unusually early this year, with additional fires reported in France and Greece bracing for its first heatwave. Scientists attribute the increasing length, intensity, and frequency of heatwaves to human-driven climate change.