Cross‑border forest fire burns 45 hectares in Ourense, Spain

On Sunday a forest fire that ignited in Vinhais, Portugal crossed the border into Galicia, Spain, reaching the municipality of A Mezquita in the province of Ourense. The blaze had consumed roughly 45–50 hectares of low‑lying pine and chestnut forest and prompted a large‑scale firefighting response.

Authorities from the Xunta de Galicia, Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Portuguese agencies deployed ground crews, multiple brigades, water pumps, helicopters and fixed‑wing aircraft. The mayor, Rafael Pérez, warned that the fire could spread to nearby parishes, but no populated areas were in immediate danger. Fire‑risk alerts were raised as a heat wave drives temperatures toward 40 °C, heightening the threat of further fires.