Spain’s worst wildfire season in nearly two decades has claimed the life of a second volunteer firefighter in the northern province of Leon, as the country struggles to contain dozens of blazes amid extreme heat and arson incidents.
Authorities confirmed that 37-year-old Jaime Aparicio died after sustaining burns to 85% of his body while battling flames near the town of Nogarejas. Aparicio and fellow volunteer Abel Ramos, 35, were trapped while creating firebreaks with brush cutters. Ramos succumbed to his injuries earlier this week.
“Today we mourn the death of another member of the team fighting fires in Leon,” said Nicanor Sen, the national government’s representative in Castile and Leon, in a post on X. Aparicio’s death marks the seventh wildfire-related fatality in Spain this year.
The tragic loss comes as police intensify efforts to crack down on suspected arson. Authorities in Zamora arrested a man accused of igniting a blaze on an illegal rubbish dump, which spread rapidly due to high temperatures, consuming 4,000 hectares and injuring five people. In Malaga, another man was detained for allegedly starting six fires earlier in August.
Since June 1, Spanish police have arrested ten people and are investigating 38 others for deliberately starting fires. Convicted arsonists face up to five years in prison along with heavy fines.
Spain’s wildfires have been fuelled by one of the longest heatwaves on record, scorching approximately 148,000 hectares so far this year — more than a quarter of the total area burned across the European Union, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.
In the northwestern region of Galicia, three firefighters remain in critical condition after sustaining severe burns. Around 170 children and their supervisors were forced to remain confined in a summer camp after a fire damaged the site’s power lines. They were later evacuated to a water park.
Twelve-year-old Carlota, one of the campers, described the ordeal to Europa Press: “We were really scared, but in the midst of the fire, with a few tears, we and the monitors were also dancing. The sky was orange, but everything worked out in the end.”
As conditions worsened, Spain requested international assistance, with France dispatching two Canadair water-bombing planes on Thursday. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed that nearly two dozen fires are still burning, driven by strong winds and extreme heat.
More than 9,500 people have been evacuated from towns, while hundreds have been ordered to remain indoors for safety. With temperatures showing no sign of dropping, officials warn that the crisis may continue in the coming weeks.
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