Spain has deployed 500 additional troops to fight raging wildfires, raising the total to 1,900, as the death toll climbed to four. In Castile and León, the country’s worst-hit region, a firefighter was killed when his truck tumbled down a steep hill on Sunday. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed “sadness” and “desolation” at the tragedy.
In neighbouring Portugal, another firefighter lost his life in a traffic accident tied to firefighting efforts. The fires, fuelled by a brutal heatwave across southern Europe, have forced some 27,000 residents in Spain to evacuate their homes.
Authorities warn that the situation remains critical, with several blazes still out of control. In Castile and León, the air has been described as “unbreathable,” while in Cáceres, some 11,000 hectares have already burned. Galicia’s Ourense province has reported 12 active fires scorching over 17,500 hectares.
The crisis comes as wildfires also sweep through Greece, France, Turkey, and the Balkans, underscoring the mounting dangers of extreme heat across Europe.
