Anger grows among wildfire victims in Spain over government response

Saturday 23 August 2025 - 09:06

By: Sahili Aya

Anger grows among wildfire victims in Spain over government response

In northwestern Spain, residents affected by devastating wildfires are voicing mounting anger over what they describe as negligence and poor crisis management by authorities. In Castile and León, where more than 350,000 hectares have been burned in recent weeks, victims accuse regional leaders of failing to act effectively as flames threatened villages and forced mass evacuations.

Elderly residents like José Fernández, evacuated from the Sanabria region, criticized the government’s handling of the emergency, calling it “a complete failure.” Similar complaints echoed across rural communities, where many feel abandoned in the face of advancing fires.

Authorities confirmed that at least three of the four deaths linked to this wave of wildfires occurred in Castile and León. The blazes, partly contained thanks to falling temperatures, have destroyed homes, farmland, and forests, exposing structural vulnerabilities in regions hit hard by depopulation and cuts to fire prevention budgets.

The crisis has also fueled political tensions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government has been accused by regional officials — mainly from the conservative Popular Party (PP) — of not providing enough support, while central authorities blame local governments for underfunding public services and downplaying climate risks.

In Galicia and Castile and León, hundreds of people have already joined demonstrations demanding greater accountability. Meanwhile, firefighters and environmental agents warn that seasonal contracts and budget cuts leave Spain without enough experienced personnel to face increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires.