Spain records 180,000 hectares burned in 2024, declares national emergency

Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition reported that 180,000 hectares have burned so far in 2024, with 38 large forest fires. The minister, Sara Aagesen, said the area burned is more than six times the amount recorded the previous year and that 90% of the annual total was consumed in just two weeks, causing eight deaths, 79 injuries and the evacuation of 42,000 people.

The unprecedented scale prompted the government to declare a national‑interest emergency for the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila, the first such declaration for a forest fire. WWF Spain highlighted the need for a comprehensive prevention and adaptation plan, noting that 2025 had already set a record with 355,000 hectares burned and 63 large fires.