Portugal Wildfires Claim First Victim as Spain Faces Extreme Fire Risk

Portugal and Spain – Friday – Portugal recorded its first death from wildfires on Friday, as Spain’s weather agency issued warnings of “very high to extreme” fire risk amid Europe’s ongoing heatwave. Meanwhile, Greece continued to battle fires on one Aegean island, although conditions had improved for several other southern European nations.

Casualty and Response in Portugal

President Rebelo de Sousa confirmed that Carlos Damaso, the former mayor of Guarda, lost his life while combating the fires. The President returned from holidays to join emergency management meetings, highlighting the national urgency of the crisis.

Thousands of firefighters have been engaged for several days across multiple regions. Portugal has also sought EU assistance, requesting four firefighting aircraft through the civil protection mechanism.

In Spain, three fatalities were reported, including two volunteers in their thirties attempting to extinguish fires in the Castile and Leon region. One of the volunteers, Jaime Aparicio Vidales, was buried on Friday in Quintanilla de Florez, Zamora province.

Spain has endured nearly two weeks of extreme heat, with the searing temperatures now reaching Cantabria, which had previously been spared. Temperatures are forecast to exceed 40°C in parts of the northwest, according to Aemet, Spain’s national weather agency.

The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) confirmed that Spain has seen 157,501 hectares destroyed so far this year. France has sent two water-bombing planes to assist in the northwest, where dozen fires remain active.

Marco Raton, a 35-year-old pig farmer in Sesnandez de Tabara, described the devastation: “We grabbed everything we had—backpacks, fire bats and garden hoses—put on appropriate clothing and went over to help. We saw burned people being evacuated, a car on fire, a burning tractor, warehouses, garages. I felt helpless.”

Raton recalled last year’s fires and warned: “I thought there was nothing left to burn, but this will continue year after year.”

Angel Roman, mayor of Ferreruela, called for firebreaks and clearing of brush around villages, stating that clean countryside could halt fires.

In France, the southern department of Aude remains on red alert after a fire that began on August 5 killed one person and injured several. Temperatures are expected to reach 40°C on Saturday. Lucie Roesch, general secretary of the local prefecture, said: “We are in a situation of extreme vigilance.”

In Greece, lower temperatures and reduced winds have helped improve conditions, though fires persist on the island of Chios, with eight aircraft deployed to combat flames. Fire risk remains high in Attica and the southern Peloponnese.

Albania also reported devastating fires, killing thousands of cattle and destroying 40 homes in just three days.

Regional Fire Summary

Europe continues to face an unprecedented wildfire crisis amid the ongoing heatwave, with authorities urging vigilance, preparedness, and rapid firefighting coordination across the affected countries.