Spanish wildfire doubles in size, forces evacuations

A wildfire raging in Niebla, southern Spain, has consumed 8,000 hectares, doubling its size since Saturday, according to regional official Antonio Sanz. The blaze has forced the evacuation of 467 people and prompted authorities to employ controlled burns to establish a 44-kilometer perimeter across six municipalities.

Despite the extensive area affected, Sanz noted that numerous "vegetated islands" within the perimeter remain intact due to containment efforts. The European Copernicus satellite system is expected to provide more precise measurements of the burnt vegetation. A significant deployment of nearly 500 professionals, 178 material resources, and 26 aerial units is working to control the fire.

Spain's Minister of Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, described the Niebla fire as part of a "complicated national context" for wildfires. She reported that Spain has already seen nearly 200,000 hectares affected by fires this year, a figure six times larger than in 2025. The country has also recorded 40 major wildfires in 2026, compared to 15 by this time last year.