Castilla y León prosecutors report 47% of forest fires were intentional

The Prosecutor's Office in Castilla y León has reported that nearly half of the forest fires in the region were intentional. During the opening of the Judicial Year in Burgos, Chief Prosecutor Santiago Mena noted that approximately 161,000 hectares burned during the last fiscal year, a figure that nearly doubles the area destroyed in 2022.

Data shows that 1,192 fires were recorded in 2025, representing a 41% year-on-year increase. Of these, 47% were classified as intentional, while 12.92% were attributed to negligence and 19.71% to accidents. Only 12% of the fires were caused by natural factors.

Mena highlighted several contributing factors to the increased risk, including an aging population, the abandonment of rural areas, and drastic changes in weather conditions. He also pointed to deficient forest maintenance and the decline of extensive livestock farming as elements that create an exponential risk for fire outbreaks.