Extreme heat and fierce winds have fueled multiple wildfires in northern Spain and Portugal, creating dangerous “fire whirls” that destroyed homes and forced hundreds to flee.
In Spain’s Castile and Leon region, authorities ordered about 800 residents to evacuate from at least six villages as flames advanced toward the UNESCO-listed Las Médulas natural park. Several houses have already been consumed by the blaze.
In the town of Congosta, desperate residents were seen dousing rooftops, trees, and streets with garden hoses in a bid to protect their properties, as thick smoke grounded firefighting aircraft.
“There are already several houses that have burned down. We don’t know what to do anymore — we feel completely defenceless and abandoned,” said 70-year-old resident Evangelina Peral Delgado.
Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, the regional government’s environment chief, explained that the intense heat which soared to around 40°C (104°F) triggered rare and dangerous fire whirls near Las Médulas. “This happens when flames in a confined valley suddenly hit an open, oxygen-rich area, creating a swirling fireball,” he said.
Across the border in northern Portugal, nearly 700 firefighters are battling a blaze that erupted on Saturday in Trancoso, about 350 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of Lisbon. High winds and parched conditions continue to complicate containment efforts.
Authorities in both countries have urged residents to remain alert as temperatures remain dangerously high, with no immediate relief in sight.
