The fires are relentless in northwestern Spain. On Sunday afternoon, the end of a week that will go down in the country's history as an environmental disaster, the blaze continued to hit particularly hard in Ourense, a Galician province where 50,000 hectares have already burned; Zamora and León, in Castile and León; and Cáceres, in Extremadura, with flames raging on the northern flank of the Jarilla fire. There were nearly 40 active fires in total. The threat of blazes also loomed over the Picos de Europa Natural Park due to a fire that started in Barniedo de la Reina (León), which has led to the evacuation of the population of a dozen municipalities.

While the wildfire crisis continues unabated, political confrontation has been toned down this Sunday. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez traveled to the areas devastated by an unprecedented wave of fires in Spain and warned that"difficult" days still lie ahead. Three PP-run communities are overwhelmed by the virulence and proliferation of fires that have devoured homes, farms, industries, and valuable natural areas. To assist them, Sánchez will send 500 Army soldiers and"all necessary resources."

The president will try to have 200 of these soldiers deployed in Ourense, thus meeting the number requested by the head of the Galician government, Alfonso Rueda, who is requesting that the soldiers be assigned to tasks such as opening firebreaks. Since last Friday, according to the Ministry of Defense, 47 Army and Navy patrols have been deployed throughout Galicia to monitor the Galician mountains. Sánchez and Rueda visited the Ourense Firefighting Operations Coordination Center together in a climate of cordiality and collaboration, far from the usual harsh tone of the Popular Party leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Both leaders stressed the need to maintain the collaboration of the various administrations.

"We must act hand in hand," the Socialist Party member declared. At his side, Rueda advocated for"continuing coordination on the ground." He gave Sánchez a written list of the resources he "urgently" needs, both human and material. When the fires are extinguished, both promise swift action to aid the victims and to recover the burned territory. At the end of their appearance, on social media, PP spokesperson in the Senate, Alicia García, attacked Sánchez in a kind of parallel reality:"A president who despises his people and doesn't mobilize everything to help the country doesn't deserve to continue for another second."

Sánchez also announced that he will propose a state pact to equip Spain to confront the climate emergency. He did not provide further details on its content, only that negotiations will begin in September. The Galician president agreed on the need to implement measures to adequately address the dangers arising from climate change, including these ferocious fires.

The resolution of the crisis caused by the wildfires remains a matter of time. In Galicia, the blazes continued to advance this Sunday, with a dozen outbreaks, all in Ourense. The threat to homes, evacuations, and the lockdown of several towns continue due to the poor air quality caused by the ubiquitous smoke that is now reaching Lugo. The wave began more than a week ago in unpopulated areas of great environmental value, but has been advancing toward increasingly populated municipalities, causing scenes of panic in regions such as Valdeorras.

However, for the first time, the Ourense emergency coordination center has indications that this Monday the situation may begin to turn in favor of the firefighting teams. Meteorologists from the Xunta (regional government), who until now have been right on target with their negative forecasts, predict not only a drop in temperatures as in the entire northwest of the peninsula, but also a slackening of the winds, according to sources from the Galician government. The increasingly unbreathable atmosphere extends from Ourense to Lugo. Meteorologists from the Xunta (regional government) warn that the Orense stations have detected that the air quality in this province ranges from poor to terrible. This Sunday morning, levels were very poor in the capital, and in Laza, in the early hours, they were terrible. Smoke from the fires is also poisoning the air in Lugo, not only in the border municipalities, but also in the city of Lugo.

While authorities reiterate that there will be no impunity for those responsible for the fires, both those who are reckless and those who act intentionally, a judge in Verín has ordered the first incarceration in this wave of arson. The man accused of causing one of the deadliest fires, the one in Oímbra, has been sent to prison. The man used agricultural machinery to start a huge blaze, one of the largest in Galician history, seriously injuring three firefighters from a municipal brigade. He is charged with arson due to gross negligence, serious injuries, and damage. His imprisonment has been justified by the risk of flight due to the severity of the penalties that could be imposed, the danger of destroying evidence, and the possibility of repeat offenses, according to sources from the Galician High Court.

Across Spain, 27 people have been arrested for starting arson since June 1, and 92 are under investigation. In Galicia, two arrests were made this Sunday. According to sources from the Ourense Civil Guard, the arrests concern a 61-year-old resident of Petín accused of starting a fire this Saturday in the Valdeorras region, and an 81-year-old woman from Ourense accused of starting two arson attacks in Celanova that did not burn even a hectare.

After dealing with a pandemic, a volcanic eruption, a drought, and a major blackout since taking office, Sánchez advocates for this fire-related crisis to mark a turning point in Spain's management of the climate emergency. Once the flames are extinguished, he intends to negotiate a state pact for"Spain's mitigation and adaptation to the climate emergency." In his opinion, the country must"resize its policies" and "improve its response capacity" to increasingly serious natural disasters. Rueda agrees. The fires of recent days have been"particularly damaging," some "explosive, fourth- and fifth-generation fires." When normality returns, the President of the Xunta agrees, it will be time to discuss measures to combat"the harmful effects of climate change."

Prevention in rural areas

After Ourense, Sánchez flew by helicopter to the town of Villablino, in the province of León, where he was greeted at the foot of the aircraft by the President of Castile and León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, reports Jacobo García. Sánchez then boarded an all-terrain vehicle to tour the highlands with the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and observe the areas recently devastated by fire. Also accompanied by the Government delegate in this region, Nicanor Sen, and the mayor of Villablino, Mario Rivas (PSOE), the president spoke in the mountains with the president, livestock farmers, and neighborhood council members, who stressed the need for a prevention policy in natural areas and the economic impact that fires will have on an already devastated area. Sánchez had no contact with the local population."In 25 years, we have lost 54% of the population," the mayor of Villablino emphasized to the president. The visit, which lasted just under three hours, did not allow the press to be present. On his flight from Orense, the president had previously flown over the Las Médulas area, devastated by fire.