Lorraine Williamson
Javier Faúndez, president of Zamora’s provincial council, is fighting the flames in his old gear. He chose the fire line over a summer break. “I’m more useful here than behind my desk,” he says, shoulder to shoulder with crews in Molezuelas de la Carballeda and Puercas.
The call came mid-holiday. First Molezuelas, then Cubo de Benavente, where homes and outbuildings were lost. Sleep was scarce. Still, he reported each morning and joined teams cutting firebreaks between Puercas and Gallegos del Río.
A crisis measured in lives and hectares
The scale is brutal. In Molezuelas alone, more than 37,000 hectares have burned. Two volunteer firefighters have died. Several people are seriously injured. Thousands have been evacuated across Zamora and neighbouring León.
These fires arrive after years of hotter, drier summers and rural depopulation that leaves scrub untended. Spain’s northwest has seen repeated mega-blazes in recent seasons, with 2022 and 2023 setting grim benchmarks for area burned.
“Come and feel the heat”
Faúndez has little patience for critics far from the smoke. On Más de Uno, he urged national figures to witness the work up close. “Spend a day with firefighters. Feel the heat and danger. Then we’ll talk,” he said.
He also wants a sharper debate on arson. Resources matter, he argues, but so does confronting “pyromaniacs”. He calls current penalties “poorly thought out” and says tougher sanctions should be on the table.
Leadership that steadies nerves
Faúndez is not only provincial chief; he is mayor of Trabazos and heads the Provincial Firefighting Consortium. With 15 years as a volunteer firefighter, he is a familiar face in an emergency. On the ground, he relays accurate information, quashes rumours about mass home losses, and reassures evacuees.
That visibility matters. In fast-moving fires, trust can fray. A leader in boots, not just in briefings, helps anchor anxious communities.
Why this matters now
Zamora sits at the crossroads of Spain’s wildfire challenge: heat, wind and vast, tinder-dry landscapes. Prevention plans, forest management and rural support are long-term tasks. But as crews battle active fronts, the focus is immediate—protect lives, homes and critical infrastructure.
The coming days will test containment lines around Puercas and nearby villages. Any shift in wind could complicate the picture. Local alerts and official guidance remain essential for residents returning after evacuations.
The road ahead for Zamora
Rebuilding will take time: fencing, livestock feed, power lines, trails, and soil stabilisation before autumn rains. Expect calls for funding, revised penalties for arson, and tighter coordination between provincial, regional and national services.
With the Zamora wildfire chief on frontline, the province has a visible figure leading by example. As the fires ease, the fight will move from hoses to policy—how to prevent the next mega-blaze and protect communities living at Spain’s fire edge.