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El Niño-driven fire risk across South America and Iberia
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2026-08-04 22:24 UTC → 2026-08-05 01:51 UTC ·
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El Niño-driven fire risk in across South America and Iberia
In early July, July 2026 South American governments began issuing issued alerts and preparing emergency plans as the El Niño phenomenon combined with unusually cold weather across the region. weather, prompting emergency plans and coordinated firefighting. By early August, the weather pattern’s impact was evident in a sharp rise in forest fires. In fire activity surged: Colombia’s Cundinamarca department, fire department saw incidents jumped rise from 17 in June to 130 in July, affecting 405 hectares, while Quito, Ecuador, saw cases increase from six to 27 within Quito recorded a week. near‑300 % weekly increase, both linked to El Niño‑driven heat, wind and human ignitions. Authorities responded with coordinated firefighting efforts, prevention campaigns, administrative sanctions, installation of fire‑fire cabinets, fire‑cabinet installations and community emergency planning. Both snapshots link the heightened Spain and Portugal also faced extreme fire activity to seasons. Spain logged 385 forest fires since 1 January, burning 222,296 ha—well above the extreme heat, solar radiation, 20‑year average—and a July blaze killed 15 people, displaced about 115,000 residents and wind associated with El Niño. In early August 2026, Spain announced burned more than 168,000 ha, including a decree allocating up to €3.7 million to repair infrastructure damaged by the 2025 forest‑fire season, covering half of eligible costs. historic 50,000‑ha fire in Ávila declared a national emergency. Portugal’s Independent Technical Commission released a report on the 2025 fires with warned of chronic under‑investment in rural fire management and issued 20 recommendations, calling for professionalisation of notably professionalising its emergency authority National Emergency and a multi‑year funding model. Colombia recorded 181 fire‑related incidents nationwide in July, Civil Protection Authority. Peru’s Ancash region reported 47 fire emergencies, destroying 507 ha and injuring one person. Spain’s August 2026 aid package for the municipal council in Ibagué declared an orange alert to mobilise emergency plans. Quito’s near‑300 2025 fire season allocated €3.75 million, covering only 50 % surge was attributed to human‑caused ignitions and challenging terrain. of eligible reconstruction costs. Regional authorities continue to urge call for stricter prevention measures, increased funding, funding and coordinated response plans to address the growing fire risk.
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- 2026-08-05 01:51 UTC El Niño-driven fire risk across South America and Iberia
- 2026-08-04 22:24 UTC El Niño-driven fire risk in South America
- 2026-08-03 22:14 UTC El Niño-driven fire risk in South America
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