Spain is battling more than 20 large wildfires that have already scorched more than 380,000 hectares this year, the largest area recorded since EU satellite monitoring began in 2006. The blazes, concentrated in Galicia, Extremadura and Castile and León, intensified during a 16-day heatwave that sent temperatures close to 45 °C and dried out vegetation. The government deployed 500 additional soldiers on Sunday, bringing military manpower to about 3,400 troops supported by 50 aircraft. Firefighters from several EU countries have arrived under the bloc’s civil-protection mechanism. Rail lines, roads and a 50-kilometre stretch of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route have been shut, and more than 30,000 residents have been evacuated. At least four people have died in Spain and two in neighbouring Portugal. Authorities say 32 people have been arrested or placed under investigation for suspected arson since June. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who cut short his holiday to visit the fire zone, pledged to declare affected areas emergency zones and outlined plans for a “national pact” that would embed climate-adaptation measures in law. The national weather service has declared the heatwave over and forecasts cooler, more humid conditions that could help stabilise the fires, though Sánchez warned of “difficult hours” ahead. Across the European Union, more than one million hectares have burned so far in 2025, surpassing the previous full-year record set in 2017 and underscoring the region’s growing vulnerability to climate-driven extreme weather.