The wildfire situation in Spain is continuing to worsen dramatically. In the province of Huelva, the third major wildfire in just 24 hours has broken out. The municipality of El Cerro de Andévalo has been particularly affected, where the flames have spiralled out of control due to extreme heat, strong winds and severely dried-out vegetation. Hundreds of residents have been forced to leave their homes, while firefighters and firefighting aircraft are mounting a major operation to bring the blaze under control.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
More than 380 people evacuated to safety
According to Andalusian authorities, 384 residents of the town of Villanueva de las Cruces were evacuated as a precaution. Through Spain’s emergency alert system, residents received warning messages on their mobile phones and were instructed to leave their homes immediately. The evacuation was carried out in an orderly manner, although emergency services continue to monitor the situation with great concern.
The flames spread rapidly due to shifting wind directions in a difficult-to-access area of the Andévalo region. At times, the fire threatened several residential areas as well as agricultural land.
Major firefighting operation with extensive aerial support
The Andalusian wildfire service Infoca responded with a major deployment. More than 100 firefighters were working on the ground at the same time, supported by several firefighting aircraft and helicopters, bulldozers, water tankers, as well as specialist weather and incident management teams. Around 130 emergency personnel remained at the scene overnight to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The firefighting efforts are proving particularly challenging due to dense vegetation, high temperatures and repeatedly strengthening gusts of wind. Authorities hope that the large-scale deployment of personnel will prevent the flames from spreading to additional communities.
Already the third major wildfire within a single day
The fire in El Cerro de Andévalo is not an isolated incident. Within just 24 hours, several wildfires were reported across the province of Huelva. Earlier, a blaze near Almonaster la Real had already triggered numerous evacuations and temporarily disrupted rail services between Huelva and Zafra. Only after the situation there improved were residents gradually able to return to their homes.
The latest series of wildfires highlights how tense the situation currently is in Andalusia.
Spain is experiencing one of the most severe wildfire seasons in years
The fire in Huelva is part of a nationwide wildfire crisis. According to official figures, nearly 120,000 hectares of forest and scrubland have already been destroyed in Spain this year – around twice as much as during the same period last year. At the same time, emergency services are battling numerous major wildfires in Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Madrid, Toledo and other regions.
The situation remains particularly dramatic in Guadalajara, where a wildfire has already destroyed more than 32,000 hectares. Although authorities are now reporting a slight stabilisation of the situation, the blaze is already considered one of the largest wildfires in Spain in recent decades.
Extreme weather conditions are worsening the threat
Meteorologists are primarily blaming the ongoing heatwave for the exceptionally high wildfire risk. Temperatures exceeding 40°C, extremely dry vegetation and strong winds are creating ideal conditions for fires to spread rapidly. At present, even the smallest sparks can be enough to trigger large-scale blazes.
Authorities are therefore urging the public to strictly avoid open fires and to follow all safety warnings.
Government warns of increasing climate-related pressures
In light of the large number of simultaneous major wildfires, Spain’s government has once again highlighted the growing impact of extreme weather events. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has already visited several affected regions and called for a long-term national action plan to address the consequences of climate change and the increasing risks posed by wildfires.
According to government figures, 22 major wildfires have already been recorded in 2026 alone – several times more than in the previous year.
Situation remains tense
At present, the wildfire near El Cerro de Andévalo remains under close observation. Emergency crews are working around the clock to contain the blaze and prevent further evacuations. Whether the residents who have already been evacuated will be able to return to their homes in the short term depends on how weather conditions develop and on the progress of firefighting efforts.
