Else Beekman
Sscattered wildfire outbreaks have now evolved into a full-blown environmental emergency across one of Spain’s most treasured landscapes, the Picos de Europa National Park. Flames have breached the boundaries of the park. As a result, the tiny mountain village of Caín in León province is evacuated. Furthermore, authorities shut down all tourism infractructure across the region.
At least three major wildfire fronts are burning through the park Picos de Europa. One firefront snakes its way from the steep paths of Camarmeña down to Caín. Meanwhile, another creeps eastward from Bejes toward Peñamellera Baja. A third blaze has wrapped itself around the high-altitude mountain pass of Pandetrave, deep in the rocky heart of Valdeón. Fire crews have also identified several smaller outbreaks scattered across the region. For now, these are isolated, but dangerously close to converging into a much larger inferno.
The regional daily La Nueva España reports that large portions of the Cabrales and Onís mountain passes have already been consumed by the flames. In response, authorities have halted all tourism along the famed Cares Route. Refuge shelters in the mountains have been cleared out, and the Bulnes funicular is now only accessible to locals and guests with confirmed accommodation.
Frustration smoulders among locals
Anger is also rising, particularly among residents who feel abandoned. “They keep banning everything, but since Tuesday they’ve just stood by and let the Picos burn,” a man from Onís told reporters. Many in the affected areas are questioning why stronger preventative action wasn’t taken days earlier, before the fires reached protected land.
Officials plead for calm and caution
In Asturias, regional leaders have tightened restrictions and issued fresh warnings. “This isn’t the time for hiking or mountain sports,” said Adriana Lastra, the Spanish government’s delegate in the region. Lastra made her point plainly: in a crisis of this scale, all available resources need to go straight to fighting the flames. Diverting crews for mountain rescues when should hikers get lost or hurt, would only slow down the effort where it’s needed most.
To reinforce the urgency of the situation, Spain’s civil protection network issued emergency alerts across several towns and villages in the Cantabrian mountains. Communities like Cangas de Onís, Cabrales, Somiedo and Peñamellera are now officially on high alert, with authorities urging everyone to stay out of harm’s way.
Travel disrupted across tourist hotspots in natural reserves
Several transport links in the region’s biosphere reserves have been suspended until at least 18 August. Routes affected include the access road to Covadonga Lakes, the connections between Arenas and Poncebos, and those servicing Ponga, Somiedo and Muniellos. Limited return services remain in place for essential travellers.
At the time of writing, Asturias is contending with 14 fire zones, six of which are still active. The most serious are in Cangas del Narcea, Somiedo, Ponga and Cabrales. In Somiedo, firefighters are working around the clock to protect the village of Vil.lar de Vildas. “The next 48 hours will be key,” said regional emergency chief Alejandro Calvo.
Strict bans and fire-prevention measures in place
The authorities are urging everyone, residents and visitors alike, to follow emergency rules. They prohibit strictly to light fires outdoors, even in designated picnic or camping areas. They ban fireworks and pyrotechnics, and do not allow off-road vehicles or any machinery that could spark a fire in forested areas.
Fires rage across the country
And it’s not just the Picos de Europa feeling the heat. Across Spain, fires are lighting up the map. Castilla y León is facing the worst of it, with more than 20 separate blazes reported in Zamora, León, Salamanca and Ávila. In Galicia 14 wildfires remain active, and in Ourense province alone, the flames reduced over 46,000 hectares to ash. Authorities have told many locals to stay in lockdown as a safety precaution.
Further south in Extremadura, the wildfire near Jarilla is raising alarms. Flames have already scorched nearly 5,000 hectares. Seven additional fires are still burning across the region, where officials estimate the total damage at 25,000 hectares. Meanwhile, over in the Valencian Community, the fires in Teresa de Cofrentes and Xàtiva are now considered stable.
Spain’s Interior Ministry has confirmed that 19 of these fires have escalated to Level 2. This critical classification calls for national intervention and emergency reinforcements.
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Prime Minister to visit fire-stricken zones
On Sunday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit the most severely affected areas in Ourense and León on Sunday. He’s will cut short his holiday in Lanzarote to meet with emergency crews and regional officials to assess the damage and coordinate the next steps.
Meanwhile, Spain’s conservative opposition party, the Partido Popular (PP), has called for the deployment of the military to assist overwhelmed firefighting units.
European coordination underway
Spain has activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and called other countries for help. Virginia Barcones, head of Civil Protection and Emergencies, confirmed that aid is on its way. “We have informed the 27 member states and 10 affiliated countries immediately and they have responded to our call,” she told public broadcaster TVE.
Barcones also clarified that while international support is welcome, Spain’s regional governments remain in charge of managing the emergencies. “None of the autonomous communities have indicated they’re no longer able to handle the situation. For now, coordination remains at the regional level.”
Sources: RTVE, Telecinco, EuropaPress
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