A devastating heatwave has ravaged the Iberian Peninsula, fueling wildfires that have claimed the lives of two firefighters in Spain and Portugal. Both victims died in road accidents while battling the blazes, bringing the total death toll to four in Spain and two in Portugal since the fires broke out in recent weeks.
In Spain, a firefighter was killed when his truck flipped over on a steep forest road in Castile and Leon, northwestern Spain. The vehicle approached the embankment and overturned, falling down a steep slope. This incident occurred as Spain battles 20 major wildfires, with over 3,430 square kilometers of land burned this year, setting a new national record.
Portugal has also been severely affected, with nearly 185,000 hectares of land destroyed since the start of the year, exceeding the total area burned in 2024. A former mayor in the eastern town of Guarda died while fighting a fire on Friday, and a firefighter succumbed to injuries in a traffic accident on Sunday, seriously injuring two colleagues.
The wildfires have prompted both countries to appeal to the European Union for assistance. Portugal is expecting the arrival of two water-bombing aircraft to aid firefighting efforts. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has promised a “national pact” to address the climate emergency, while Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed condolences for the victims. The region’s forestry institutes attribute the increase in temperatures and wildfires to climate change.
