Firefighters from Germany currently engaging in operations in northern Spain

The forest fires raging in Spain and its neighboring country Portugal have caused extensive damage, with preliminary estimates indicating the destruction of over 6,800 square kilometers of forest and vegetation since the beginning of the year. The situation remains most challenging in the northwest of the country, where German firefighters are providing much-needed assistance.

The German firefighters, a unit of 67 personnel from the German wildfire module GFFF-V, have been deployed in the Extremadura region of Spain and the northern Spanish region of Castile and León since Wednesday. They are expected to assist their Spanish colleagues until next Tuesday.

These firefighters have been involved in wildfire suppression, securing the village of La Baña, and combating fires with ground crews and air support. They were sent by the Spanish command center to protect La Baña from approaching flames. The firefighters traveled nearly 290 kilometers north from Extremadura to La Baña.

The Spanish police published a video of the German firefighters arriving in Puebla de Sanabria. A resident of the region posted photos and videos of the German firefighters and their vehicles in the narrow streets of La Baña on the X platform. These firefighters were previously in Extremadura, where they helped control a large forest fire.

The overall situation with forest fires in Spain has eased slightly due to the end of an extreme heat wave. However, the destruction caused by the fires is still significant. Preliminary estimates by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) as of Saturday show that around 6,840 square kilometers of forest and vegetation areas have been destroyed in both countries since the beginning of the year.

The destruction caused by the forest fires is equivalent to almost 958,000 soccer fields or more than a third of the area of Schleswig-Holstein (15,763 square kilometers). At least eight people have died in both countries due to the forest fires. Around 330 residents of La Baña have already been evacuated, according to the newspaper "Leonoticias".

The forest fires in Spain and Portugal are attributed to more frequent and longer heat and drought periods, which are linked to human-induced climate change. The German firefighters are working tirelessly to combat the fires and protect the affected areas, providing a glimmer of hope in this challenging situation.