Largest carbon emissions in Spain since 2003 occur in Ourense, León, and Zamora.
Spain Faces Worst Forest Fire Season in Over Two Decades
Wildfires and other extreme meteorological phenomena are posing a significant threat to the global community, and Spain is currently grappling with one of the worst forest fire seasons in recent history.
The Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) has issued a stark warning about the impact of forest fires on public health. The smoke from these fires is associated with increases in mortality from respiratory and cardiovascular causes. The convergence between large-scale fires, deforestation, and climate change is a real and growing threat, according to SEE.
The wave of forest fires and the high temperatures affecting Spain have already devastated over 300,000 hectares of land. Spain has experienced a 16-day heatwave, one of the longest in history, which has put the health of the most vulnerable population at risk.
The total forest fire emissions of Spain for 2025 are the highest annual total in the past 23 years, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) reported the highest annual total emissions of forest fires in Spain on August 1, 2025, marking the worst forest fire season in South Europe in over two decades. EFFIS documented that by mid-August 2025, Spain and Portugal together accounted for about two-thirds of the burnt area in the EU, with the total area burned surpassing previous records over the last 23 years.
Air quality in a wide region of Spain has deteriorated, with fine particle PM2.5 concentrations well above the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines. The smoke from the forest fires in Spain has spread to France, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia.
The scientific society emphasizes that certain meteorological phenomena such as floods, forest fires, or heatwaves can affect mental health. SEE calls for reinforcement, also from public health, of surveillance, prevention, and protection of the population at higher risk: the elderly, minors, homeless or those at risk of housing, or with chronic diseases.
In the face of catastrophes, attention to vulnerable people should be a priority, ensuring access to medication, adequate food, and psychological support. Forest fires contribute to depopulation in areas already severely affected by this phenomenon, which also has direct health consequences for the population, such as displacement and uprooting, social losses, or reduced access to healthcare services.
SEE also warns about the risk of food security and malnutrition, access to drinking water, and the risks to outdoor workers and firefighters due to these fires. Wildfires, becoming increasingly frequent, require having tools and action plans that integrate a public health perspective.
A study by the United Nations Environment Programme predicts that forest fires will increase by 30% by 2050 and by 50% by the end of the century due to the climate crisis. SEE emphasizes the importance of having tools and action plans that integrate a public health perspective to combat this growing threat.
