High winds on Wednesday hampered efforts to contain wildfires in Spain that have already scorched a record stretch of land despite lower temperatures, authorities said."Temperatures have dropped, but strong gusts of wind continue to hinder firefighting efforts,

Residents and firefighters battle a wildfire advancing toward Rebordondo village, near Ourense, in northwestern Spain, on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.

Spain recently made EU history when it made its first request ever for wildfire response reinforcements from the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism. In response to Spain’s activation, the European Commission has mobilized two rescEU planes stationed in France, with the expectation of deploying to Spain on Aug. 14.

Spain has endured the worst fire season on record, with devastating blazes continuing to destroy homes and land across the country.

Cooler conditions are helping Spanish and Portuguese firefighters tackle deadly blazes that have forced tens of thousands of people to flee over the past two weeks.

Firefighters are battling 21 blazes in western Spain, while a man in Portugal was killed while fighting wildfires.

Spain's weather agency warned the public on Monday to be "cautious" of the "very high or extreme fire danger."

Firefighters in Spain are hoping cooling temperatures and rain in the coming days will help douse destructive wildfires that have killed several people and destroyed homes.

Wildfires are tearing across Spain, killing several people and scorching nearly 1,500 square miles. This year's fire season is already among the country's worst on record.

A second volunteer firefighter has died after battling a wildfire in the northern Spanish province of Leon, while police arrested a man for allegedly starting a separate blaze as the country faced one of its worst summers for fires in 20 years.

The key to preventing forest fires is creating a rural economy based on the use of forests. While this would generate much-needed employment in “la España vaciada” – “hollowed-out Spain”, the name given to the country’s depopulated rural areas – it also costs money. It is therefore essential to invest in forests.