Spain is enduring its most destructive wildfire season on record, with the European Forest Fire Information System estimating that blazes have consumed more than 380,000 hectares so far this year—an area larger than the island of Mallorca and over four times the annual average since 2006. Around 20 large fires are burning mainly in the north-western regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon and in western Extremadura after a 16-day heatwave sent temperatures to 45 °C. The government has deployed an extra 500 soldiers, bringing total military personnel in the field to roughly 1,900 according to the Interior Ministry, while Defence Minister Margarita Robles said overall army involvement has risen to about 3,000 backed by 50 aircraft. At least four people have died in Spain and two in neighbouring Portugal, thousands have been evacuated and a 50-kilometre stretch of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route has been closed. Rail links, highways and power lines have also been disrupted, and authorities report 27 arrests and 92 ongoing investigations for suspected arson since June. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who cut short his holiday to visit affected areas, said the cabinet will designate the worst-hit zones as disaster areas and called for a cross-party "state pact" on climate action, arguing that rising temperatures are intensifying fire risk. Cooler weather and forecast rain offer some relief, but regional officials warn that containment will take days. Spain is receiving assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, while public-health researchers attribute about 1,100 deaths to the heatwave that helped fuel the fires.