In the first eight months of 2024, wildfires in Spain have burned 43,654 hectares of land. That means a 45% reduction compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition. This decrease might seem like good news. However, experts warn that it doesn’t indicate a real solution to the country’s wildfire problem.
Spain has endured many summers where wildfires wreaked havoc across the landscape. Luckily 2024 has been relatively calm. By September, the area burned was significantly lower than in previous years, with a 47% drop compared to the average over the last decade. In contrast, 2023 saw nearly twice as much land destroyed by fires. In 2022, a staggering 247,864 hectares were lost.
Favourable weather conditions
The reduction in wildfires this year is largely due to favourable weather conditions. “We’ve had fewer fires because the weather has been kinder. Temperatures were lower, and there was more rain at the end of spring,” explains Víctor Resco, a forestry engineering professor at the University of Lleida. This delayed the summer heat and reduced the risk of fire spreading.
Not a cause for celebration
However, Resco cautions that this apparent respite is not necessarily a reason to celebrate. “We’re still at the mercy of the elements,” he says. The lower number of fires this year isn’t due to improved fire prevention measures, but rather to favourable weather. “When we face another dry, hot year like 2022, we will see as much, or even more, land burned,” he warns.
Abundant rainfall has also led to increased vegetation growth, which creates more fuel for future fires. Resco stresses that if this excess vegetation isn’t managed, it could result in a “megafire” when the weather conditions align for another severe fire season.
Wildfire hotspots in Spain
The Ministry’s report shows that 33% of wildfires this year occurred in northwestern Spain, while 29% were in the Mediterranean region, and nearly 37% in the country’s interior. Most of the forested areas affected were also in the interior, with 59% of the damage recorded there.
In total, 17 large wildfires, those affecting more than 500 hectares, have been recorded so far this year, which aligns with the average over the past decade. Among the vegetation burned, 10,404 hectares were forested areas, 24,117 were shrubland and open forest, and 9,132 were pastures.
Spain must focus on long-term fire prevention strategies
Despite the reduced number of fires this year, experts like Resco emphasise that Spain must focus on long-term fire prevention strategies. Simply relying on favourable weather will not protect the country’s forests from future disasters. As Resco puts it, “If we don’t burn it this year, it will burn the next.”
Also read: What to do if you encounter a wildfire while driving in Spain