The massive forest fire in Andalusia continues to grow, with the total area affected reaching a critical 25,000 hectares by the early hours of August 12.
The fire, which broke out in the municipality of Niebla, in the province of Huelva, has entered its fifth consecutive day of devastation. The situation in southern Spain remains complex, forcing the Spanish authorities to take extraordinary measures and send large-scale reinforcements to the frontline with the fire.
Army mobilization and emergency evacuation
More than 500 personnel from the Disaster and Emergency Assistance Unit (UME) of the Spanish Armed Forces, as well as Civil Guard personnel, were urgently deployed to contain the disaster in Andalusia. As the flames threaten a number of settlements, a total of 681 people remain evacuated to safe zones and temporary shelters.
Andalusia's regional minister for emergencies, Antonio Sanz, announced that the government had reinforced material support in the rear, putting into operation four new bulldozers and additional heavy equipment to dig protective trenches. Forestry brigades are receiving crucial air support from specialized aviation equipment from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Change in the behavior of the fire in Huelva
Although the forest fire in Andalusia continues to consume new territories, Minister Antonio Sanz noted a certain positive trend in the pace of its spread. The speed of the fire has slowed by half compared to the previous day and is only a quarter of the intensity observed three days ago.
However, the combination of extreme summer temperatures, drought and strong variable winds in the province of Huelva makes the behavior of the flames extremely unpredictable. Firefighters are working around the clock to cut off the flanks of the fire and prevent it from spreading further into the interior of the region.
Dark statistics for the summer season in Spain
The current fire in Andalusia is part of one of the most severe and devastating waves of forest fires in Spain in recent years. According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), cited by world agencies, since the beginning of 2026, a total of more than 244,000 hectares of land have been burned in the country with more than 400 individual fires registered. This number is almost six times higher than in the same period last year, which makes this summer a real climate crisis for the Iberian Peninsula.