Spain has mobilized an additional 500 soldiers to combat raging wildfires that have scorched vast swathes of parched woodland during an unrelenting heat wave, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Sunday. The deployment bolsters the 1,400 troops already battling blazes, particularly in the northwestern Galicia region, where 12 major fires near Ourense threaten homes and livelihoods.

“Homes remain at risk, prompting lockdowns and evacuations,” said Alfonso Rueda, head of Galicia’s regional government, during a press conference with Sánchez. The fires, fueled by temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F) in some areas, have burned 158,000 hectares (390,000 acres) across Spain this year, an area comparable to metropolitan London, according to the EU’s European Forest Fire Information System.

Spain’s weather agency, AEMET, warned of “extreme” wildfire risks on Sunday, with Cordoba recording 44.7°C (112.46°F) the previous day. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service notes that Europe’s warming, twice the global average since the 1980s, is intensifying heat and dryness, making regions like Spain highly vulnerable.

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Spain awaits reinforcements, with two Dutch water-dumping planes set to join French and Italian aircraft under a European cooperation agreement. Additional firefighters from other nations are expected soon, said Virginia Barcones, head of Spain’s Civil Protection Agency, in an RTVE interview. National rail operator Renfe suspended Madrid-Galicia high-speed train services, and Galician authorities urged residents to wear face masks and limit outdoor time to avoid smoke inhalation.

Neighboring Portugal, also strained, deployed over 4,000 firefighters, 1,300 vehicles, and 17 aircraft on Sunday, with 139,000 hectares burned this year—17 times more than in 2024. A national state of alert, in place since August 2, ended Sunday, with Swedish firefighting planes due Monday. Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania have also sought EU firefighting aid, with activations matching last year’s entire summer season.

In Turkey, wildfires have claimed 19 lives, with blazes threatening the historic Gallipoli region, leading to the evacuation of six villages and the closure of visitor facilities. Some 1,300 personnel and 30 aircraft are battling the fires, fueled by record heat and strong winds since late June.

As Spain and its neighbors grapple with this devastating fire season, the urgent response underscores the growing challenge of climate-driven wildfires across southern Europe.

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