A dozen active fires are still raging in northwestern Spain, reports the Spanish news agency EFE. Among other places, fires are burning in Galicia, Asturias and Castile and León. On Friday, an additional 1,300 soldiers were deployed in the fight to get the flames under control – in winds and temperatures around 40 degrees.
"This will probably be a very difficult day with extreme risk of new fires," warns Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on X.
Three people have died, two of them volunteer firefighters. Several more are being treated for severe burns, writes El País.
In just a few days, the wave of fires has consumed nearly 115,000 hectares – an area more than five times the size of the city of Stockholm. A dozen roads have been forced to close and high-speed trains between Madrid and Galicia have been put on pause indefinitely.
Spain's weather service Aemet also warns of continued "high or extreme" fire risk in most of the country over the weekend.
Neighboring country Portugal is also suffering from oppressive heat that has led to several fires in forests and countryside. On Friday, more than 3,000 firefighters are fighting mainly five large fires in the northern and central parts of the country, reports EFE.
The total number of active fires in Portugal is well over 30, according to the news agency.
