Spain and Portugal Struggle to Contain Widespread Wildfires Amid Heatwave

Spain and Portugal Struggle to Contain Widespread Wildfires Amid Heatwave
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Scorching heat hindered efforts to control more than 20 major wildfires across Spain on Sunday, as authorities deployed an additional 500 military emergency troops to support firefighting operations, media outlets reported. In Galicia, several fires merged into a massive blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail links. Southern Europe is facing one of its worst wildfire seasons in two decades.

In Spain alone, fires have killed three people and destroyed over 115,000 hectares in the past week. Neighboring Portugal has also been severely affected, with around 155,000 hectares burned this year—three times the seasonal average—half of it in just the last three days.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned of “challenging days ahead,” with temperatures expected to reach 45°C, while emergency officials said conditions remained “very adverse.” Thousands of firefighters continue to battle blazes in both countries, as residents in some villages resort to buckets in desperate attempts to protect their homes.