Spain’s third-longest heat wave on record kills over 1,100 as country continues to battle wildfires

Spain’s latest heatwave has been linked to more than 1,100 deaths, according to government figures released on Tuesday (August 19), as vast wildfires continued to burn in the north of the country.

The Carlos III Health Institute reported 1,149 excess deaths between 3 and 18 August, a period marked by extreme temperatures. The estimate, based on data from the national Mortality Monitoring System, compared mortality figures against historical trends and incorporated weather data from Spain’s meteorological agency. While the system does not directly confirm that heat was the cause of death, officials said it offers the most reliable assessment of heat-related fatalities.

The agency had already linked 1,060 excess deaths to July’s heatwave – a 57 per cent rise on the same period last year – underscoring warnings from climate scientists that global warming is making such extreme weather longer, more frequent and more intense.

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Forest fires force evacuations

Even as the heatwave subsided on Monday, wildfires across the north of Spain forced repeated evacuations. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez visited the command post at Jarilla in Cáceres on Tuesday and declared the worst-hit areas “disaster zones”. Nearly 2,000 troops have been deployed nationwide, with support from France, Italy and the Netherlands.

The most pressing situation was in Palencia, where residents of Cardaño de Arriba were evacuated for the second time in three days. Fires spreading from Barniedo de la Reina in León have crossed the Mazobre valley and now threaten the Alto Carrión area. Regional officials in Castilla y León declared a severity index of PGI 2, which signals direct risk to people and property, according to a report by SUR.

Seven level 2 fires – including in Boca de Huérgano, Yeres, Llamas de Cabrera and Caín de Valdeón – remained active in the region, alongside four smaller blazes at level 1. Improved weather has allowed residents of 18 villages in León province to return home, though the risk persists.

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Anger over response

Public frustration at the scale of the destruction has fuelled protests. A rally under the slogan “Against the fire of inaction: Prevention and resources now!” is set to take place on Wednesday evening in Valladolid, with organisers calling for greater investment in firefighting capacity and the resignation of the regional leadership in Castilla y León.

The Jarilla blaze in Extremadura remains one of the largest and most destructive, burning for more than a week and destroying 15,600 hectares. The fire has spread into Salamanca province and is advancing towards Jerte and Tornavacas, forcing thousands of people from their homes.

While some residents, such as those from Rebollar, have been able to return after days in temporary shelters, communities in Jerte, Navaconcejo, Tornavacas, Cabezuela del Valle and parts of Hervás remain displaced. With two active fronts and worsening conditions, officials warned that the crisis is far from over.

With inputs from agencies