Ourense air quality improves as wildfires and smoke subside

Wildfires in northern Portugal and Ponteareas have caused significant smoke and poor air quality in the province of Ourense, Spain. Monitoring stations in Ourense and Xinzo de Limia previously recorded “bad” air quality levels due to high concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) and ozone. However, recent rainfall and changing wind patterns have begun to disperse the smoke, leading to improved air quality levels across the region.

Multiple fire alerts were active in Ourense, including an urban fire in A Cuña and a blaze in A Gudiña that burned between 10 and 12 hectares. Emergency services, including firefighters and aerial means, were deployed to manage these incidents.

On a broader scale, Agroseguro reports that forest fires in Spain have affected over 116,500 hectares of agricultural land between 2017 and 2026. In Galicia, insurance payouts for fire-related agricultural and livestock losses have reached approximately 729,466 euros. The year 2026 is currently tracking as the second year with the highest agricultural damage in the last decade, following 2025.