Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s prime minister has called for a cross-party climate pact after one of the country’s most destructive wildfire seasons in recent memory. Pedro Sánchez said September will mark the start of talks on a state agreement to confront the growing risks posed by climate change.
The announcement came as vast areas of countryside lay scorched. In Ourense, Zamora, León and Cáceres, thousands of hectares were lost and dozens of villages forced to evacuate. At one point, air quality in Ourense dropped to “very poor”, with smoke drifting into neighbouring provinces.
By Sunday, Galicia was still battling a dozen fire fronts. While falling temperatures and calmer winds offered hope, the damage was already immense. Farmers warned of ruined pastures and lost livelihoods, while village councils demanded long-term protection instead of one-off relief.
Sánchez and Rueda show rare unity
Sánchez cut short his holiday in Lanzarote to visit the coordination centre in Ourense alongside Alfonso Rueda, Galicia’s conservative regional president. In a rare display of unity, both men stressed the need for cooperation between central and regional governments.
The prime minister confirmed that 500 soldiers were being deployed to the hardest-hit areas, including 200 in Galicia, to cut firebreaks and support local brigades. He also promised to help families return to normal life “as quickly as possible”.
Sánchez expresses condolences on social media
Sánchez also took to X (formerly Twitter) to acknowledge the human cost of the disaster. “On behalf of the Government, our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives, to the injured, and to all the people affected by the fires ravaging our country,” he wrote.
He used the same post to praise emergency services, adding: “Thank you to all the public servants for their professionalism, commitment, and dedication.” The message echoed his wider call for unity in confronting the crisis.
Fourth- and fifth-generation fires
Rueda described the current blazes as belonging to the “fourth and fifth generation”: extreme, unpredictable fires that are almost impossible to contain. The terminology reflects how climate change is creating faster, hotter and more destructive fire patterns across southern Europe.
Spain has already faced a string of major crises in recent years, from the La Palma volcano to catastrophic floods in Valencia. Sánchez argued that such events show the need for a permanent shift in disaster management, with climate policy at its heart.
Villages at risk of vanishing
Later, Sánchez travelled to Villablino in León, a municipality that symbolises Spain’s rural decline. Its mayor, Mario Rivas, told him that fire damage adds to the pressures of depopulation. The town has lost more than half its inhabitants in the last quarter-century.
“If we do nothing, the remaining villages will disappear from the map,” Rivas warned, urging stronger investment in prevention and rural resilience. His comments reflect a broader fear: that wildfires accelerate the erosion of already fragile local economies.
Arson cases under investigation
Alongside climate pressures, Spain is also dealing with arson. Since June, 27 people have been arrested on suspicion of starting fires. In Galicia, one man was accused of triggering one of the region’s largest blazes while operating agricultural machinery.
The fire left three municipal firefighters seriously injured. Prosecutors have charged the suspect with gross negligence, arson, causing bodily harm and material damage. He remains in pre-trial detention.
A turning point for climate policy?
Sánchez framed the proposed pact as a decisive shift in Spain’s climate strategy. The aim, he said, is to strengthen both mitigation and adaptation, with consensus across political parties and society.
Talks are due to begin in September. Whether they deliver a lasting framework or falter in partisan dispute could shape how Spain faces the next wave of climate-driven disasters.
Sources: Huffington Post, El País