Spain braces for rare eclipse amid wildfire fears

Spain is mounting a large-scale security and public safety operation ahead of a total solar eclipse on August 12, which coincides with one of the country's most dangerous periods for wildfires. The event, visible in totality from Spain and Iceland, is expected to draw around 6 million visitors to regions along the eclipse's path.

Regional governments have designated more than 660 official viewing sites, along with parking and camping areas, to manage the influx. Over 35,000 officers will be deployed to police crowds in rural areas, according to Virginia Barcones, secretary-general for Civil Protection and Emergencies at Spain's Interior Ministry. The operation aims to prevent incidents such as fires sparked by discarded cigarettes in natural areas.

"We've had an extremely tough summer in Spain, with yet another series of major forest fires. That's why we must restrict any kind of activity that could generate a spark," Barcones said.

The Spanish weather agency Aemet has issued alerts for several regions due to temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius and a "high" or "very high" wildfire risk. Spain, along with France and Greece, has already faced severe heatwaves and wildfires this summer. By Monday evening, three major fires were burning in the provinces of Huelva, Segovia, and Huesca. Fires have scorched about 200,000 hectares so far this year, six times more than by the same date in 2025, according to the Environment Ministry.

"This is a very bad time of year ... It's statistically the week when the most wildfires occur in Spain," said Raul de la Calle, secretary-general of the Association of Forest Technical Engineers.

Local residents in some small towns have launched awareness campaigns urging visitors to avoid sensitive natural areas. In Buitrago de Lozoya, a town of 2,000 people north of Madrid, the group Monte en Pie staged a protest against events planned near forests. The nearby town of Tres Cantos cancelled all eclipse-day events due to wildfire risks, though around 3,000 people are still expected at an observation site near Buitrago.

"We are in a high wildfire-risk area. Barbecues and the use of machinery are prohibited because the countryside is extremely dry ... The more people there are, the greater the danger," said Ana Hernandez, the group's leader.

Authorities estimate around 1.5 million people could be on the roads during the day, travelling to rural northwestern and central Spain. Public awareness campaigns are warning against parking in unauthorised areas, littering, using barbecues, or venturing into fire-prone countryside.

Despite the risks, interest in the eclipse remains high. Travel platform Booking.com reported foreign searches more than tripled in inland cities such as Burgos and Soria, while Amadeus travel data showed bookings to the northern region of Asturias up 292% from a year earlier. Around 70% of Spain's rental motorhomes, camper vans, and caravans—about 500,000 vehicles—have already been booked for the eclipse period, according to industry association ASEICAR.