Heatwave to arrive amid worst fires in record

Amid the worst wildfires in Spain’s history and an unrelenting heatwave in which temperatures in the country’s interior are predicted to reach 45ºC, Pedro Sánchez, prime minister, has decided to cut short his summer holiday, activate the army and request help from neighbouring nations.

Wildfires in multiple regions have burned almost 120,000 acres. Four people, including a firefighter, died, after the fire engine they were driving rolled off the road. The fires have ravaged provinces in Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, and Galicia, leading to widespread road and rail closures and forcing emergency response teams to their limits and beyond.

The fires have caused major disruptions to the transportation network. Sixteen roads, including the national N-621 between León and Cantabria, remain closed, along with secondary roads in Asturias, León, Palencia, Zamora, Cáceres, and Ourense. Rail services were also severely affected. The high-speed Madrid to Galicia line was suspended until at least midday on Monday because of fires in Ourense. High temperatures and strong wind made it unsafe for operations.

The worst wildfires to hit Spain in history cut short the prime minister’s holiday

Extreme weather conditions are hampering the efforts of Spain’s Military Emergency Unit. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, cutting short his holiday in the Canary Islands, visited a civil protection coordination centre in Ourense, Galicia, and later travelled to León on Sunday. Facing criticism for his delayed response, Sánchez called for a “grand state pact” to strengthen Spain’s preparedness for climate-driven disasters like wildfires. He said that the next three days would be crucial, and urged people to put aside partisan differences to deal with the climate crisis.

Sánchez returned to mainland Spain from the Canary Islands after being criticised for failing to show up in response to the fires in Extremadura, Castilla y León, and Galicia. In his first comments to the media since the start of the crisis seven days ago, he said the next three days would be critical and proposed the formation of a “grand state pact” to prepare Spain for climate-related events such as wildfires and hurricanes.

Prime Minister calls on unity to be shown during the worst wildfires ever in Spain

“We have to do a detailed analysis on how to resize the prevention and response capacities to climate emergencies. This is a matter that must not be polarized by partisanship. He said, “We all belong to the same state and we all have to work together.”

King Felipe also travelled to the UME headquarters in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, to convey his support to those fighting on the front line.

Testimonies by those who have lost their homes or are facing the flames on the mountain reflect the drama of today. We are reminded by neighbours’ stories and psychological reports that this isn’t just about statistics, but the destruction of entire towns in hours.