Wildfire
You will know whether your area is at risk, what the law expects of you and how to act if a fire approaches.
Wildfire is a real part of life in much of Spain. This section helps you work out whether the area you are considering is at risk, what the law expects of you as a resident or owner, and how to act if a fire approaches. It also covers fire bans and fines, and what to do about smoke and ash…
Pick the article that fits your situation
Wildfire risk in Spain: where, when and how it looks nearby
Explains when wildfire risk is highest in Spain, which regions are most exposed, and how heat and wind make fires worse. For anyone choosing where to live or already settling in, who wants to judge risk near their own home.
Your legal duties next to forest land (interfaz urbano-forestal)
If your home or plot sits in or next to forest land, you must keep vegetation cleared to set standards by set dates. This page explains who is responsible, what the town can do if you don't, and how to find your local rules.
Making a home in a pine-forest urbanización safer from fire
How to make a house in a pine-forest urbanización safer from fire: what to clear around it, how to plan your exit, and how to work with neighbours, the residents' body and the town hall. For anyone living at the forest edge.
Barbecues, bonfires and burning: fire bans and fines in Spain
Explains what you cannot do with fire in Spain's high-risk summer period, how fines scale with severity, and how to check the day's rules. For anyone with a garden, a rural home or plans to picnic or hike in the countryside.
If a wildfire approaches: evacuate (desalojo) or stay in (confinamiento)
When a wildfire approaches, the authorities tell you whether to leave or stay indoors. This page explains what each order means, how orders reach you, and what to do in each case. It is for anyone living in or visiting a fire-risk area of Spain.
Wildfire smoke, ash and what happens after a fire
Smoke and ash can harm your health, you should go home only when the authorities lift the evacuation order, and burned slopes flood and erode easily for years. This page is for anyone living near a wildfire in Spain.
About this topic
It is written for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain.
Start with "Wildfire risk in Spain: where, when and how it looks nearby". It explains when fire season runs, which regions face the highest risk, and how heat and wind change the picture. Once you know how exposed your area is, the other pages cover your legal duties next to forest land, making a home in a pine-forest urbanización safer, barbecue and burning rules, the choice between evacuating (desalojo) and staying in (confinamiento), and life after a fire.
Key rules
- Criminal penalty: Causing a forest fire on purpose is a crime punished with prison of 1 to 5 years, and more if people are endangered.
- Peak season: The national peak of wildfire risk is July to September, though Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country also peak from February to April.
- Emergency number: To report a wildfire, call 112, the free emergency number that works across Spain and in English.
- National peak: Wildfire risk is highest from July to September across most of Spain.
- Authorities decide: Follow the order you receive instead of deciding alone to leave or stay.
- Your duty: As owner of a home or plot next to forest land, you must keep it cleared to the local standard.
Wildfire: the whole process, step by step
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Learn your fire season and check whether your address is near forest land (read: Wildfire risk in Spain: where, when and how it looks nearby): Before you buy or move in, and before each summer.
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Find out which clearing and firebreak duties apply to your home or plot (read: Your legal duties next to forest land): Before the clearing date your town or region sets. Many towns ask for clearing by around 1 June or 15 June, some earlier, and some require clearing all year.
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Clear your plot and make the home safer, and agree shared work with neighbours (read: Making a home in a pine-forest urbanización safer from fire): Before the high-danger period starts, and keep it up through the season. See Your legal duties next to forest land (interfaz urbano-forestal).
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Follow fire bans for barbecues, bonfires and burning (read: Barbecues, bonfires and burning: fire bans and fines in Spain): Every day in high-risk periods. Check your region's daily risk level and bans first; causing a fire on purpose can mean prison of 1 to 5 years.
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Leave or stay in as instructed if a fire approaches, and call 112 to report it (read: If a wildfire approaches: evacuate (desalojo) or stay in (confinamiento)): As soon as you see fire or receive an order. Do not wait.
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Return home only when the evacuation order is lifted, then check the damage (read: Wildfire smoke, ash and what happens after a fire): After the authorities announce it through 112, the town hall or the police. Check power, gas and water before use, and photograph damage for your insurer.
Wildfire: questions that cross several articles
Where can I check the daily fire risk and burning bans for my area?
You can check the daily fire risk on the national weather agency's fire-risk map and on your region's own website or app, which also list burning restrictions and bans. Regions such as Galicia, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalucía run their own. Read "Wildfire risk in Spain: where, when and how it looks nearby" for the season, and "Barbecues, bonfires and burning: fire bans and fines in Spain" for what the bans mean.
How do I find out if my address counts as next to forest land?
You can find out by locating your parcel with its cadastral reference in the Catastro and in the agriculture ministry's parcel viewer, which marks forest land. Then ask your town hall or regional forest service whether it lies in a high-risk zone. Read "Wildfire risk in Spain: where, when and how it looks nearby" and then "Your legal duties next to forest land (interfaz urbano-forestal)".
Who has to clear the vegetation, me, my community or the town hall?
Owners of homes and plots are responsible for clearing their own land, and urbanizaciones with a community or conservation body must maintain common areas. Town halls clear public land, can order owners to clear, and can do the work at the owner's cost. Read "Your legal duties next to forest land (interfaz urbano-forestal)" and "Making a home in a pine-forest urbanización safer from fire".
By what date do I need to have my land cleared each year?
The date is set by your region or town, and many ask for clearing by around 1 June or 15 June, before the high-danger period. Some places require clearing all year, and Galicia has its own deadlines.
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