The wave of fires in the State leaves at least two dead and thousands evacuated.

At least two people have died and several others are injured to varying degrees in the wave of fires affecting the state. The first fatality occurred on Monday afternoon. This is a man who suffered burns to 98% of his body in the spectacular Tres Cantos fire in Madrid, and who was unable to recover from his injuries. The second case was reported just this Tuesday night. This is a volunteer who was reportedly working to extinguish the Molezuelas de la Carballeda fire in Castile and León, according to initial reports provided by local media. Other people were also working on the fire, four of whom were seriously injured.

Right now, at least thirty different fires are burning violently and simultaneously in different parts of Spain. The images coming from the Tres Cantos fire in northern Madrid are chilling. The flames, fanned by the wind, have forced the evacuation of two residential areas very close to the city center. Firefighters have already managed to surround the blaze after it scorched 1,500 hectares and continue working to extinguish it, despite having declared it under control on Tuesday morning. The Tres Cantos fire is one of the most significant blazes to rage in recent days in Spain, which has already caused, in addition to one fatality, three injuries and the preventive evacuation of thousands of residents. Currently, major fires are burning in Andalusia, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura, Galicia, and Madrid.

The seriousness of the situation led the Spanish government to activate, early Tuesday morning, the pre-emergency phase of the General State Emergency Plan for forest fires in several autonomous communities. A meeting of the State Coordination and Steering Committee was also held this morning to assess the fire situation and coordinate actions in various parts of the state. However, for the time being, the powers to address the various fires remain with the regional governments.

The situation is also particularly serious in Castile and León, with ten forest fires raging in the regions of Zamora and León, forcing the evacuation of a total of nearly 4,000 residents in some twenty towns. Aerial resources resumed extinguishing efforts this morning, which suggests some improvement in the situation, especially in the largest fire in Molezuelas de la Carballeda, where the second fatality so far has occurred. The fire has already burned 3,500 hectares and required evacuations and the lockdown of some fifteen villages.

Among the other fires still active in this region is the Las Médulas Natural Site of High Natural Value, which has been devastated by flames in recent days. In this UNESCO World Heritage Site, some 1,500 hectares of vegetation have burned, although the fire appears to have spared the ancient Roman gold mines, which are one of the area's valuable tourist attractions. At this point, the fire situation, which had improved in the morning, became more complicated again in the afternoon, with several flanks out of control.

The situation on Tuesday is also critical in Galicia, where a dozen fires are burning simultaneously. The most worrying aspect is the fire in Chandrexa de Queixa, in Ourense, which has affected more than 3,000 hectares, an area larger than all the fires that broke out in Galicia last year.

Another of the main centers of the simultaneous firefight is Tarifa, in Cádiz, where a fire has been burning in the Sierra de la Plata mountains since Monday. According to the Andalusian Minister of the Presidency, Antonio Sanz, on Tuesday, the fire that forced the evacuation of nearly a thousand people from homes and hotels was intentional. The flames yesterday were near the beaches of Atlanterra and Los Alemanes, which are very busy during the peak holiday season, and some 2,000 people had to be evacuated.

The easterly winds of up to 50 km/h caused the flames to spread very quickly, according to the Andalusian government, which places the fire's starting point in an area of vegetation near the coast. Just six days ago, another fire broke out in Tarifa, in the La Peña area, which forced the evacuation of 5,000 people from campsites and hotels. This is the second scare the fire has caused residents and vacationers in the area.

Why have the fires soared if it has rained so much?

The severe heat wave affecting the Iberian Peninsula—the second of the summer—is the main cause of this wave of fires. The main problem is that the extreme heat has been sustained for several days, which has dried out the land and caused extreme weather conditions. In many of the areas where the fires are burning, there is technically no drought, as the spring was rainy. But this summer's extremely high temperatures and the lack of rain in recent days have turned the forests into a true drought and a powder keg.

The grasses and bushes that grew thanks to the spring rainfall have dried out, becoming fuel in the event of a fire. And to all this, we must add another important factor: in some cases, some fires have been started or fanned by dry storms. A very dangerous phenomenon during the summer, as these storms produce virtually no precipitation, but are accompanied by strong winds and lightning that can quickly start fires.

In short, these are very severe conditions that result in very low humidity and a very high risk of fire. A small spark can be enough to start a major fire, and the current state of the forests means the flames are spreading relentlessly. Human carelessness and a lack of prevention and forest management are the final straw in this context of climate crisis, characterized above all by increasingly severe and prolonged heat waves that cause significant territorial water stress throughout the Peninsula.

Several arrested for causing flames

As investigations into the origins of the various fires affecting or having affected the state in recent days progress, arrests are also increasing. The Civil Guard reported this afternoon that it has arrested a firefighter as the alleged perpetrator of the blaze that destroyed approximately 2,200 hectares in the fire that broke out on July 28 between Cuevas del Valle and Mombeltran, in southern Ávila, and which forced several municipalities into lockdown. The arrestee's motivation, according to the force, could be linked to "employment interests."

This is not the only arrest made by law enforcement agencies. A woman is also being investigated for allegedly causing up to five forest fires that have broken out in recent days in Muxía, Galicia. Both witnesses and the contradictory account given by the 63-year-old woman have led officers to suspect her possible guilt.

A few days ago, another 28-year-old man was arrested while intentionally trying to start a fire in Canibelos, Ourense, and another person was arrested on suspicion of starting another fire in Celanova, in the same province. The latter detainee is also accused of being responsible for about twenty more fires.