Wildfires Intensify Amid Heatwave, Government Faces Corruption Probes
Get European news in your inbox daily
A short daily digest of the whole continent — or just the countries you care about.
Check your email. We've sent a confirmation link — click it to complete your subscription.
Spain is grappling with an escalating wildfire crisis, fueled by a new heatwave that has pushed fire risk to extreme levels across multiple regions. Major blazes are raging in Madrid, Ávila, Toledo, and Castellón, leading to thousands of evacuations and road closures. The cost of extinguishing these fires is projected to reach up to €3.3 billion this year, with critics also highlighting a shortage of firefighting planes.
The intense heatwave, marked by an orange alert for nine autonomous communities, exacerbates the dire situation, making it one of the worst fire seasons on record. Authorities are urging extreme caution as firefighters battle to contain the widespread blazes.
Concurrently, the political landscape is dominated by legal challenges facing Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has been ordered to stand trial on corruption and influence peddling charges. This development has intensified calls from the opposition, led by the People's Party, for government accountability. Prime Minister Sánchez, meanwhile, has called for a national pact against the climate emergency and is reportedly preparing for a potential early general election.