Wildfires in Spain force closure of the Camino de Santiago

The Iberian Peninsula is facing one of the worst wildfire seasons of the past two decades. In Spain, more than 344,000 hectares have already burned since the beginning of the year, while in Portugal the number exceeds 216,000 hectares. Extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 45 ºC, and a heatwave that lasted for 16 days — one of the longest in the past 50 years — created the conditions that explain the scale of the disaster.

In this context, the Spanish authorities decided for the first time to close part of the Camino de Santiago. Around 50 kilometres of the route were cut off in Galicia and Castile and León, where more than 20 wildfires devastated thousands of hectares last week and also forced the suspension of rail services. As one pilgrim commented: “for those walking the Camino, the interruption may only be a delay, but for the local communities the devastation is permanent.”

The Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, described the situation as unprecedented in the last two decades, stressing that the fires show “special characteristics” caused by climate change and global warming. The Spanish government deployed 1,900 military personnel to support firefighters, but the density of the smoke has limited the use of aerial resources.

Four people have died since June, including a firefighter killed in a road accident during operations. The Ministry of the Interior also reported that 27 people have been detained and another 92 are under investigation for suspected arson since the beginning of the summer.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), Spain has already recorded the largest burned area since 2006, more than four times the average for the 2006-2024 period. Portugal is also facing a critical situation: more than 216,000 hectares have been destroyed, likewise four times above the average, and two people have lost their lives.