Home / Disasters and Accidents / Spain Battles Worst Wildfire Season in Decades, Emissions Soar
Spain Battles Worst Wildfire Season in Decades, Emissions Soar
20 Aug
Summary
- Wildfires in Spain have already burned over 382,000 hectares
- Wildfire carbon emissions in Spain hit record highs in August 2025
- Smoke from the fires has spread across Europe, worsening air quality
As of August 20th, 2025, Spain is battling a severe wildfire crisis that has become one of the country's most destructive in recent history. According to the latest data, wildfire carbon emissions in Spain have risen to their highest levels in at least 23 years, far surpassing previous records.
The fires have already claimed four lives and forced thousands to evacuate their homes, burning more than 382,000 hectares of land - an area larger than the island of Mallorca. Authorities have deployed thousands of firefighters and troops, backed by water-bombing aircraft, in a desperate effort to contain the blazes.
The situation has also taken a toll on air quality across much of the Iberian Peninsula, with observations showing dangerously high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) well above World Health Organisation guidelines. Thick smoke plumes from the Spanish fires have even spread hundreds of kilometers, drifting over France, the UK, and Scandinavia, adding to the haze already drifting in from wildfires in Canada.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has acknowledged the role of the climate crisis in exacerbating the disaster, pledging to designate affected areas for reconstruction aid and proposing to enshrine climate emergency policies into permanent state law.
