Spain’s 2026 forest fires triple, prompting EU‑wide emergency response

In the first half of 2026, Spain’s forest fires have surged to a three‑fold increase over the same period in 2025, burning 39,296 hectares and recording 254 incidents, compared with 12,625 hectares and 76 fires a year earlier. The spike has been driven by extreme heat and drought, with large blazes affecting Andalusia, Galicia and Catalonia, including a fire near Villanueva de los Castillejos that consumed more than 5,000 hectares.

The European Union’s civil‑protection mechanism is being activated to help member states cope with the heightened risk. The EU’s crisis centre in Brussels, operating from mid‑June to September, coordinates funding, logistics and the deployment of assets such as 39 aircraft, 19 helicopters and roughly 800 firefighters across the bloc. A supranational fleet of 23 aircraft and 777 pre‑positioned firefighters are on standby for high‑risk countries, including Spain, to respond rapidly to simultaneous fire outbreaks.