26.08.2025

Spain and Portugal Lead in Fire Damage

Spain and Portugal topped the list of the most affected countries, as their combined territories accounted for about two-thirds of the areas affected by the fires, according to Western media. The data indicates a sharp increase in the frequency of fires between August 5 and 19, a period that coincided with a severe heatwave lasting 16 days on the Iberian Peninsula. These fires led to the emission of about 37 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is almost equivalent to the total annual emissions of a country like Portugal, in addition to breaking records for nine other air pollutants. Meanwhile, a scientific study showed that smoke increases short-term mortality rates in Europe, particularly respiratory deaths, as the pollution impact from these fires extended to other countries such as France.

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