Wildfires in Spain Devour Hectares

Spanish authorities reported that the first major wildfire of the year broke out in the Valencia region of eastern Spain today, destroying over three thousand hectares of forest and forcing 1,500 residents to evacuate their homes. The unusual winter drought in southern European regions has led to reduced soil moisture and raised concerns about a repeat of 2022, when 785,000 hectares were affected across Europe, more than twice the average annual figure over the past 16 years, according to European Commission statistics. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated in a press conference in Brussels, "These fires we are witnessing, especially this early in the year, reaffirm the climate emergency humanity is facing, which is particularly affecting countries like ours and causing significant damage." In Spain, 493 wildfires destroyed a record 307,000 hectares of land last year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System managed by the Commission. Spain is currently experiencing a prolonged drought following three years of below-average rainfall.