fast and far<\/a>, prompting the evacuation of more than 60,000 people.<\/p>\nBy July 26, it had merged with two other fires that started near the towns of Almorox, in Toledo province, and San Martin de Valdeiglesias, in the Madrid region. By the time the last hotspots were extinguished on October 3, the blaze had consumed 63,000 hectares, according to regional tallies, destroying homes, restaurants, sports facilities and farms.<\/p>\n
Satellite fire detections<\/p>\n
Fire origin<\/p>\n
Burgohondo<\/p>\n
\u00c1VILA<\/p>\n
San Mart\u00edn de<\/p>\n
Valdeiglesias<\/p>\n
MADRID<\/p>\n
Satellite fire detections<\/p>\n
Fire origin<\/p>\n
Burgohondo<\/p>\n
\u00c1VILA<\/p>\n
San Mart\u00edn de<\/p>\n
Valdeiglesias<\/p>\n
MADRID<\/p>\n
Satellite fire detections<\/p>\n
Fire origin<\/p>\n
Burgohondo<\/p>\n
\u00c1VILA<\/p>\n
San Mart\u00edn de<\/p>\n
Valdeiglesias<\/p>\n
MADRID<\/p>\n
Source: Active fire detections are from NASA\u2019s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), using Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) observations. Points indicate thermal anomalies associated with active fires.<\/p>\n
It was one of dozens of large wildfires in Spain this summer. More than 300,000 hectares were burned in all, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). That is roughly three times the country\u2019s average annual burn area over the past two decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At least 21 people died, making 2026 one of Spain\u2019s deadliest wildfire seasons in decades.<\/p>\n
A wildfire spreads over the Burgohondo mountains in Spain\u2019s Avila province on July 23, 2026. REUTERS\/Ana Beltran<\/p>\n
Flames rise above the forest near the town of San Martin de Valdeiglesias in the Madrid region on July 26, 2026. REUTERS\/Ana Beltran<\/p>\n
The charred remains of a deer lie in the forest near the small Avila town of El Tiemblo on July 28, 2026. REUTERS\/Umit Bektas<\/p>\n
Reuters analysed aerial and satellite imagery in the area affected by the megafire, reviewed land cover inventories and ownership records, and interviewed more than a dozen wildfire experts, forestry officials and landowners to understand how changes to the landscape and the way it is managed increase Spain\u2019s vulnerability. <\/p>\n
The people who spoke to the news agency all said land maintenance and fire prevention efforts in the country\u2019s expanding forests fall short of what is needed in today\u2019s hotter climate.<\/p>\n
Fire perimeter<\/p>\n
July 22-31, 2026<\/p>\n
Fire perimeter<\/p>\n
July 22-31, 2026<\/p>\n
Fire perimeter<\/p>\n
July 22-31, 2026<\/p>\n
Secondary annotation @14px<\/p>\n
Tertiary annotation @12px<\/p>\n
Locator map showing the wildfire perimeter west of Madrid and the area enlarged in the aerial and satellite image comparison below.<\/p>\n
Before-and-after comparison of aerial imagery from 1956\u201357 and satellite imagery from 2026, showing how a patchwork of farmland west of Madrid has become more continuous woodland.<\/p>\n
Sources: The 1956\u201357 orthophoto is from the Spanish National Geographic Institute (American Flight, 1956\u201357). The 2026 satellite image is from Google Maps.<\/p>\n
A changing landscape<\/p>\n
In the second half of the 20th century, millions of people moved out of Spain\u2019s countryside, an exodus spurred by the mechanisation of farming and new employment opportunities in rapidly industrialising cities and towns. <\/p>\n
In 1960, about 56% of Spaniards lived in urban areas, World Bank data shows. By 2024, that had risen to 80%.\u00a0Over time, the rural landscapes people left behind became neglected and overgrown with vegetation.<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s forest cover increased 38% between 1990 and 2025, to 19.1 million hectares, United Nations-compiled data shows, a trend driven in part by European Union-backed schemes to plant trees on former farmland.<\/p>\n
In 2005, Spain\u2019s woodland\u00a0exceeded its agricultural land.<\/p>\n
In 2005, Spain\u2019s woodland\u00a0exceeded its agricultural land.<\/p>\n
In 2005, Spain\u2019s woodland\u00a0exceeded its agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Chart showing changes in Spain\u2019s agricultural land, scrubland and woodland from 1860 to 2009, with woodland overtaking agricultural land in 2005.<\/p>\n
Note: Some historical figures are estimates. Points show available data.<\/p>\n
Source: Spanish Society of Forest Sciences (SECF), Report on the State of Forests and the Forest Sector in Spain (2010).<\/p>\n
Inside the perimeter of the July megafire, forest cover increased 54% between 1990 and 2018, to 35,000 hectares, the Reuters analysis found. That\u2019s 12,000 additional hectares of pines, oaks and other vegetation added to the landscape in less than three decades.<\/p>\n
Between 1990 and 2018, the area classified as forest within the fire
\n perimeter increased by 54.1%.<\/p>\n
Between 1990 and 2018, the area classified as forest within the fire
\n perimeter increased by 54.1%.<\/p>\n
Between 1990 and 2018, the area classified as forest within the fire
\n perimeter increased by 54.1%.<\/p>\n
Between 1990 and 2018, the area classified as forest within the fire
\n perimeter increased by 54.1%.<\/p>\n
Between 1990 and 2018, the area classified as forest within the fire
\n perimeter increased by 54.1%.<\/p>\n
Map comparing CORINE Land Cover data from 1990 and 2018, highlighting areas classified as forest in 2018 that were other land cover types in 1990.<\/p>\n
Note: The map compares CORINE Land Cover inventories for 1990 and 2018, the latest available in the series. Forests include broad-leaved, coniferous and mixed forests. \u201cNew forest\u201d refers to land classified as forest in 2018 that was listed in other land-cover categories in 1990, mainly shrubland and transitional woodland.<\/p>\n
Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service\u2019s CORINE Land Cover dataset (1990, 2018)<\/p>\n
Land-cover inventories compiled by the European Environment Agency\u2019s Copernicus Land Monitoring Service show how farmland transitioned to shrubland and woodland inside the burn zone between 1990 and 2018, the most recent year for which data is available.<\/p>\n
Of the area mapped as forest in 2018 within the fire perimeter,\u00a034.9%\u00a0was classified as shrubland\u00a0or transitional woodland in 1990, and\u00a05.7% agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Of the area mapped as forest in 2018 within the fire perimeter,\u00a034.9%\u00a0was classified as shrubland\u00a0or transitional woodland in 1990, and\u00a05.7% agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Of the area mapped as forest in 2018 within the fire perimeter,\u00a034.9%\u00a0was classified as shrubland\u00a0or transitional woodland in 1990, and\u00a05.7% agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Of the area mapped as forest in 2018 within the fire perimeter,\u00a034.9%\u00a0was classified as shrubland\u00a0or transitional woodland in 1990, and\u00a05.7% agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Of the area mapped as forest in 2018 within the fire perimeter,\u00a034.9%\u00a0was classified as shrubland\u00a0or transitional woodland in 1990, and\u00a05.7% agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Sankey diagram showing how land cover changed between 1990 and 2018, highlighting which land cover types became woodland and contributed to the new forest area.<\/p>\n
Note: CORINE Land Cover is a European inventory of land cover and land use with more than 40 categories. Reuters consolidated detailed classifications into five broad groups \u2014 forest, shrubland and transitional woodland, agricultural land, natural grassland and other land cover \u2014 to track how areas changed classification between the 1990 and 2018 maps. <\/p>\n
Source: Copernicus Land Monitoring Service\u2019s CORINE Land Cover dataset (1990, 2018)<\/p>\n
Similar shifts have been taking place across Spain and in other Mediterranean countries, where wildfire risk is high. Europe\u2019s forest cover increased 11% between 1990 and 2025, to 232 million hectares, the UN-compiled data shows.<\/p>\n
Alex Held, a wildfire expert at the European Forest Institute, said there was less vegetation to fuel blazes in parts of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece, when more land was used for farming, grazing animals and firewood collection. Now, many areas have become overgrown, Held said, \u201cand very often this recolonisation is with very flammable vegetation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The growing risk to lives and property<\/p>\n
If these new forests aren\u2019t managed, it can create conditions for fires to burn out of control, said Victor Resco de Dios, a professor of forest science at Spain\u2019s University of Lleida.<\/p>\n
Wet winter weather in Spain fuelled explosive growth in vegetation this year, much of which dried out over the summer due to record-breaking temperatures and drought.\u00a0In areas where dead wood and dry undergrowth weren\u2019t cleared away, fires built to an intensity far beyond what firefighters can manage, Resco de Dios said.<\/p>\n
Flames can climb a\u00a0fire ladder\u00a0of grass, shrubs and low branches
\n into the treetops. When this happens, firefighters say they can become
\n impossible to control.<\/p>\n
Reducing undergrowth through controlled burns, brush clearing and animal
\n grazing\u00a0breaks the ladder\u00a0and reduces the chance that fires
\n will get into the treetops, making them easier to fight.<\/p>\n
Flames can climb a\u00a0fire ladder\u00a0of grass, shrubs and low branches
\n into the treetops. When this happens, firefighters say they can become
\n impossible to control.<\/p>\n
Reducing undergrowth through controlled burns, brush clearing and animal
\n grazing\u00a0breaks the ladder\u00a0and reduces the chance that fires
\n will get into the treetops, making them easier to fight.<\/p>\n
Flames can climb a\u00a0fire ladder\u00a0of grass, shrubs and low branches
\n into the treetops. When this happens, firefighters say they can become
\n impossible to control.<\/p>\n
Reducing undergrowth through controlled burns, brush clearing and animal
\n grazing\u00a0breaks the ladder\u00a0and reduces the chance that fires
\n will get into the treetops, making them easier to fight.<\/p>\n
Flames can climb a\u00a0fire ladder\u00a0of grass, shrubs and low branches
\n into the treetops. When this happens, firefighters say they can become
\n impossible to control.<\/p>\n
Reducing undergrowth through controlled burns, brush clearing and animal
\n grazing\u00a0breaks the ladder\u00a0and reduces the chance that fires
\n will get into the treetops, making them easier to fight.<\/p>\n
Flames can climb a\u00a0fire ladder\u00a0of grass, shrubs and low branches
\n into the treetops. When this happens, firefighters say they can become
\n impossible to control.<\/p>\n
Reducing undergrowth through controlled burns, brush clearing and animal
\n grazing\u00a0breaks the ladder\u00a0and reduces the chance that fires
\n will get into the treetops, making them easier to fight.<\/p>\n
Diagram showing how grass, shrubs and lower branches form a fuel ladder that allows fire to reach treetops, and how clearing undergrowth and livestock grazing can break this connection.<\/p>\n
Expanding forests are bringing wildfire risks closer to where people live. The July blaze reached to within 35 km of Madrid \u2013 the first time the city has been threatened by a wildfire of this magnitude, officials said. <\/p>\n
Watching through security cameras installed at his home, Cesar Gallardo saw flames sweeping through his garden and damaging the windows of his house in the small Avila town of El Tiemblo. When he returned the next day, the forest around him was scorched black.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He counted himself lucky not to have sustained more losses.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPractically everything was burning,\u201d Gallardo, 41, told Reuters TV in July.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why fire prevention falls short<\/p>\n
Regional governments have primary responsibility for fire prevention and response in Spain. The national government deploys resources to support them as needed, including aircraft and ground units to fight large wildfires.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Authorities in the Castilla y Leon region, which includes Avila, said they budgeted \u20ac16 million ($17.94 million) for recent or ongoing forest management and fire prevention efforts on public land in the area hit by the fire. They include initiatives to remove dry vegetation, thin trees and maintain forest tracks and defensible lines called firebreaks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But much of the forest in Avila \u2013 about 68% \u2013 is on private land, where responsibility for this kind of maintenance rests with the owner, government data shows.\u00a0That includes most of the forested land closest to villages and towns like El Tiemblo, Reuters found.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Satellite imagery and property records show the forest near El Tiemblo has advanced over a kilometer since 1957, spreading from public land into hundreds of small, private plots once used to grow olive trees, vineyards, vegetables and grains.<\/p>\n
In July,\u00a0the fire\u00a0reached El Tiemblo\u2019s edge, where dense forest had spread to
\n within 200 metres of the town.<\/p>\n
Much of the forest land closest to towns such as El Tiemblo lies on\u00a0private parcels that may belong to different owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In July,\u00a0the fire\u00a0reached El Tiemblo\u2019s edge, where dense forest had spread to
\n within 200 metres of the town.<\/p>\n
Much of the forest land closest to towns such as El Tiemblo lies on\u00a0private parcels that may belong to different owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In July,\u00a0the fire\u00a0reached El Tiemblo\u2019s edge, where dense forest had spread to
\n within 200 metres of the town.<\/p>\n
Much of the forested land closest to El Tiemblo lies on\u00a0private parcels that may belong to different owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Much of the forested land closest to El Tiemblo lies on\u00a0private parcels that may belong to different owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In July,\u00a0the fire\u00a0reached El Tiemblo\u2019s edge, where dense forest had spread to
\n within 200 metres of the town.<\/p>\n
This fragmentation can make it harder to coordinate vegetation clearance
\n and other fire-prevention measures.<\/p>\n
Secondary annotation @14px<\/p>\n
Tertiary annotation @12px<\/p>\n
Map showing public and private forests alongside newly wooded areas, illustrating how fragmented private land ownership complicates firefighters\u2019 work where woodland has expanded.<\/p>\n
Note: White lines show the boundaries of individual plots of land, as recorded in Spanish property records. Forested land also includes some shrubland and other non-wooded areas.<\/p>\n
Sources: Spanish property records from El Catastro Inmobiliario; Spain\u2019s Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO); Regional Government of Castilla y Leon. Bing Maps.<\/p>\n
Over 90% of the region\u2019s more than 700,000 landowners have tiny plots of less than 1 hectare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That complicates efforts to reduce fire risk, said Olga Gonzalez, managing director of\u00a0 the Federation of Forestry Associations of Castilla y Leon, which represents private owners. Some owners can\u2019t afford to do costly maintenance work, and joining forces with neighbours can be a challenge when they don\u2019t know who holds the derelict plot next door.<\/p>\n
The regional government subsidises some fire prevention work on private land but only if it covers at least 25 hectares, a requirement aimed at ensuring the work is effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the end, forest management is not done because it is not economically profitable,\u201d Gonzalez said.<\/p>\n
Her federation is pushing for tax incentives and compensation for small landowners. It is also trying to organise them into groups to jointly manage their plots, to share costs and benefit from existing subsidies.<\/p>\n
Stronger legal requirements for landowners to do prevention work could also help if backed by funding, said Victor Fernandez-Garcia, an assistant professor in pyrogeography, the study of wildfires, at Spain\u2019s University of Leon.<\/p>\n
Jorge Nieto, a park ranger who helped manage Castilla y Leon\u2019s response to the Avila fire, said controlled burns to reduce the fuel load ahead of the fire season are underutilised there, in part because they are unpopular with locals. While there are firebreaks in some areas, he said, many were no match for July\u2019s blaze. The fire jumped them.<\/p>\n
How wildfires jump firebreaks<\/p>\n
Flames can reach two to three times\u00a0the height of burning vegetation.<\/p>\n
Wind can carry burning bark, pine cones and\u00a0embers across firebreaks, starting new
\n fires beyond them.<\/p>\n
15 metres<\/p>\n
Minimum firebreak width<\/p>\n
in wooded areas in Spain<\/p>\n
How wildfires jump firebreaks<\/p>\n
Flames can reach two to three times\u00a0the height of burning vegetation.<\/p>\n
Wind can carry burning bark, pine cones and\u00a0embers across firebreaks, starting new
\n fires beyond them.<\/p>\n
15 metres<\/p>\n
Minimum firebreak width in wooded areas in Spain<\/p>\n
How wildfires jump firebreaks<\/p>\n
Flames can reach two to three times\u00a0the height of burning vegetation.<\/p>\n
Wind can carry burning bark, pine cones and\u00a0embers across firebreaks, starting new
\n fires beyond them.<\/p>\n
15 metres<\/p>\n
Minimum firebreak width in wooded areas in Spain<\/p>\n
How wildfires jump firebreaks<\/p>\n
Flames can reach two to three times\u00a0the height of burning vegetation.<\/p>\n
Wind can carry burning bark, pine cones and\u00a0embers across firebreaks, starting new
\n fires beyond them.<\/p>\n
15 metres<\/p>\n
Minimum firebreak width in wooded areas in Spain<\/p>\n
How wildfires jump firebreaks<\/p>\n
Flames can reach two to three times\u00a0the height of burning vegetation.<\/p>\n
Wind can carry burning bark, pine cones and\u00a0embers across firebreaks, starting new
\n fires beyond them.<\/p>\n
15 metres<\/p>\n
Minimum firebreak width in wooded areas in Spain<\/p>\n
Diagram showing how wildfires can cross firebreaks as wind carries burning bark, pine cones and embers beyond the cleared strip, igniting new fires on the other side.<\/p>\n
Source: Flame length estimate: Ferran Dalmau, a forest engineer who was part of a specialised team deployed by Spain\u2019s environment ministry to respond to the Avila fire. Firebreak minimum width: Spain\u2019s Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO).<\/p>\n
Many firebreaks aren\u2019t maintained as often as they should be, Nieto said. \u201cIt\u2019s a question of funding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The available data indicates that Spain\u2019s regions budgeted at least \u20ac1.8 billion for wildfire prevention and suppression in 2025, according to an analysis by economists Maria-Luisa Chas-Amil and Emilio Nogueira-Moure from the University of Santiago de Compostela. But the vast majority – 78% – was for firefighting, they wrote in a July article published in the Conversation, which carries commentary by academics.<\/p>\n
Investing more in prevention could save money in the long run, said Steven King, senior vice president at Resource Management Service, which manages forestry investments around the world. \u201cWe can\u2019t control the weather, but we can control the fuel load.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s environment secretary, Hugo Moran, denied the country prioritises wildfire suppression over prevention, saying the figures cited in the recent article are far from complete. So did regional authorities in Castilla y Leon and Castilla-La Mancha, which includes Toledo.<\/p>\n
Castilla-La Mancha\u2019s sustainable development department said about 60% of its wildfire spending goes toward fire prevention, including tree pruning, brush removal and other measures around built-up areas \u2014 measures that helped avoid any damage to homes during the July fire. The two other regions did not provide breakdowns of their spending. <\/p>\n
Moran and some regional officials said lessons learned from the recent fires are being incorporated into local and national land-use plans. Measures are planned to promote the restoration of mosaic-like landscapes, create buffer zones around settlements and roads, and help small landowners do more fire prevention work. <\/p>\n
But Moran said a more coordinated response is needed, given the growing risks posed by climate change.<\/p>\n
\u201cFire knows no boundaries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mariano Zafra and Pietro Lombardi in Madrid and Kate Abnett in Brussels<\/p>\n
Alexandra Zavis and Jon McClure<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published Oct. 22, 2026\u00a0\u00a05:00 a.m. GMT Crops Crops Crops Fire Trees Shrubs Young forest Fire Europe is emerging…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":890585,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,1076,41963,3,373351,79,3662,6322],"class_list":["post-890584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-europe","tag-graphics","tag-news","tag-reuters-news","tag-science","tag-spain","tag-wildfire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/890584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=890584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/890584\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/890585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=890584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=890584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=890584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p>\n