500 more soldiers join the existing 1,400 to fight Spanish Wildfires

Spanish Wildfires-Spain is deploying an additional 500 soldiers to combat wildfires that have ravaged dry woodlands during an extended period of extreme heat, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Sunday.

This decision adds to the more than 1,400 troops already assigned to wildfire efforts, as authorities continue to struggle with forest fires, particularly in the northwestern region of Galicia.

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That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
Kieran Anders Forestry

Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
Promoting safety in the workplace

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Glasfryn Fencing and Sawmill

Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
Keeping Timber Hauliers Safe

Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.

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The government’s actions come in response to dramatic scenes where residents, armed with garden hoses and buckets, band together to protect their homes from advancing Spanish wildfires. Firefighters are currently battling 12 major wildfires in Galicia, all located near the city of Ourense, as stated by Alfonso Rueda, the head of the Galician regional government, during a press conference with Sánchez.

“Homes are still under threat, which is why we have implemented lockdowns and are carrying out evacuations,” Rueda noted. Galicia has been fighting these spreading flames for over a week now.

The Spanish national weather agency AEMET has warned that temperatures in Spain could soar to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in certain areas on Sunday. On Saturday, Cordoba, a southern city, recorded a maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius (112.46 degrees Fahrenheit).

AEMET also mentioned on the social platform X that “this Sunday, extraordinarily high temperatures are expected, making the danger of wildfires extreme in most parts of the country.”

So far this year, Spanish Wildfires have burned approximately 158,000 hectares (390,000 acres), according to the European Union’s European Forest Fire Information System. This area is roughly equivalent to the size of metropolitan London.

Local residents and volunteers are collaborating to combat an encroaching wildfire in Larouco, northwestern Spain, on August 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Lalo R. Villar)

According to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, Europe has been warming at twice the rate of the global average since the 1980s. Scientists indicate that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in various parts of Europe, rendering the region more susceptible to wildfires.

Spain is anticipating the arrival of two Dutch water-dumping planes that will join aircraft from France and Italy already assisting Spanish authorities under a European cooperation agreement. Firefighters from other countries are also expected to arrive in the region in the coming days, as stated by Spain’s Civil Protection Agency chief, Virginia Barcones, during an interview with public broadcaster RTVE.

Additionally, the national rail operator Renfe announced that it has suspended Madrid-Galicia high-speed train services scheduled for Sunday due to the fires.

Galician authorities are advising residents to wear face masks and limit their time outdoors to minimise inhalation of smoke and ash.

Portugal Faces Cooler Days After Severe Wildfires

Portugal is expecting cooler weather in the coming days following a series of severe woodland fires. A national state of alert for wildfires was initiated on August 2 and is set to end this Sunday, just a day before two Swedish firefighting planes are scheduled to arrive.

Similar to Spain, Portugal’s firefighting resources have been stretched thin. On Sunday, over 4,000 firefighters, more than 1,300 vehicles, and 17 aircraft were deployed, according to the country’s Civil Protection Agency.

To help prevent wildfires, Portugal is employing goats which feed on and clear dense vegetation , although there are certain limitations to this method.

So far this year, the area of forest scorched in Portugal is approximately 139,000 hectares, which is 17 times greater than the total for 2024, based on preliminary calculations from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, a government agency.

Additionally, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania have recently requested assistance from the EU’s firefighting force to combat forest fires. This force has already been activated as many times this year as it was during the entire summer fire season of last year.

Turkish Wildfires Threaten Gallipoli Memorials

In Turkey, recent wildfires have resulted in the deaths of 19 people. Parts of the historic region containing memorials to World War I’s Gallipoli campaign were evacuated on Sunday as the fires threatened homes in the country’s northwest.

Omer Toraman, the governor of Çanakkale province, announced the evacuation of six villages as a precautionary measure.

Approximately 1,300 firefighting personnel, supported by 30 aircraft, are working to combat the blaze, according to the General Directorate of Forestry.

A wildfire on the peninsula north of the Dardanelles Strait has led to the closure of visitor facilities at Gallipoli, as reported by the site’s management. This area is home to numerous cemeteries, memorials, and remnants of battles fought between Ottoman and Allied troops in 1915. Turkey has experienced hundreds of wildfires since late June, driven by record-breaking temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds.