Every summer, forest fires sweep across Spain, dominating headlines and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. This year’s have been especially harsh, with devastating fires thus far in Tarifa, Zamora, the Madrid area, Galicia and Extremadura, while the UNESCO-listed natural park of Las Médulas, in León, has been completely wiped out.
Although the levels of destruction vary widely from year to year – from over 310,000 hectares burnt in 2022 to only around 48,000 in 2024 – these blazes always leave an indelible mark on biodiversity and local communities alike. Now more than ever, we have to remember that the best way to fight these disasters is by preventing them from happening in the first place.
