Wildfire risk in Spain: where, when and how it looks nearby

Terms used

• Época de peligro alto — The época de peligro alto is the official high-danger period for wildfires, set by each region, when fire use is restricted.
• Zonas de alto riesgo de incendio — Zonas de alto riesgo de incendio are areas a region officially designates as high wildfire risk.
• SIGPAC — SIGPAC is the Ministry of Agriculture's online parcel viewer, showing land use such as forest.
• Ayuntamiento — The ayuntamiento is your town hall, the local council.
• AEMET — AEMET is Spain's national weather agency.
• EFFIS — EFFIS is the European forest fire information system.

Key rules

• National peak: Wildfire risk is highest from July to September across most of Spain.
• Northern second peak: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country also peak from February to April.
• Highest-risk areas: The north-west, the interior and the Mediterranean areas carry the most risk.
• Regional dates: Each region sets its own high-danger period and can change it from year to year.
• Check your area: Use the daily AEMET map and your region's own site or app, not just one source.

When is the risk highest?

The national peak of wildfire risk is July to September. Heat and drought dry out the vegetation, so fires start easily and spread fast.

Some regions differ:

• Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country also peak from February to April. Farmers burn off land then, and dry southerly winds make fires spread. Galicia also has risk in late summer.
• The Mediterranean coast, the interior, Andalusia, Extremadura and the islands peak in summer.
• The Canary Islands can see risk from June to October.

The timeline below shows the pattern through the year.

Where is the risk highest?

Risk is highest in the north-west, the interior and the Mediterranean areas. The regions with the largest burned areas are Galicia, Castilla y León, Asturias, Extremadura, Andalusia, Valencia, Catalonia and Aragón.

Galicia has the most fires by number. Castilla y León and Extremadura have very large burned areas. Ourense, León, Zamora, Cáceres and Salamanca were hit hard in 2022 and 2025. Spain's burned area in 2025 was the worst in the EU, at roughly 350,000 to 400,000 hectares. In 2022 it was about 300,000 hectares.

A low-risk region is not a risk-free one. Check your own area rather than relying on the region's reputation.

The official high-danger period

Each region sets its own high-danger period (época de peligro alto). The environment or rural affairs department of the region declares it. Many regions fix standard dates, for example 1 July to 30 September or 15 June to 15 October.

The region can bring the dates forward or extend them in hot, dry years. It can also restrict the use of fire outside the period when risk is high. Check the current order for your region.

How heat and wind change a fire

• Heat and drought dry out live and dead plants, so there is more fuel and it ignites more easily.
• Low humidity lowers the moisture in that fuel and makes fires more intense. Hot nights with low humidity stop the fuel recovering overnight.
• Wind feeds the fire with oxygen and pushes flames towards fresh fuel. It also carries embers far ahead, which start new fires.
• Slope makes a fire spread faster uphill.

In extreme conditions a fire can become impossible to control. Hot, dry, windy days are the ones to take seriously.

How to check your own area

Use both national and regional tools. AEMET publishes a daily fire-weather risk map (Índice de riesgo meteorológico de incendios) and issues heat and wind warnings. EFFIS shows the same kind of index for Europe. Regions publish daily risk levels, fire restrictions and bans on their own sites and apps. The resources list below has the main ones.

To check a specific address:

1. Find the cadastral reference of the property.
2. Locate the parcel in SIGPAC, which shows land use, including forest (FO), and in your region's viewer for zonas de alto riesgo de incendio (high-risk zones).
3. Ask your ayuntamiento or the regional forest service whether the address is in a high-risk zone or next to forest.

The town's urban plan and civil protection plan also list the areas where homes meet forest.

Timeline and deadlines

• Late-winter and early-spring peak in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country: February to April

• National peak of wildfire risk, with the Mediterranean coast, interior, Andalusia, Extremadura and the islands at their worst: July to September

• Risk on the Canary Islands: June to October

Checklist

• Find out the official high-danger period (época de peligro alto) for your region from its environment or rural affairs department.

• Look up the daily fire-weather risk map from AEMET, Spain's national weather agency, for your area.

• Check your region's own site or app for daily risk levels, use-of-fire restrictions and bans.

• Watch for AEMET heat and wind warnings, since hot, dry, windy days raise the danger most.

• Find your cadastral reference and locate the parcel in SIGPAC and your region's high-risk zone viewer.

What to watch out for

• Risk outside the summer peak: Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country also peak from February to April, and the Canary Islands can see risk from June to October. Assuming fire risk is only a summer matter can leave you unprepared. Check your own region's danger dates and daily risk level all year.

• Dates differ and can change: Each region declares its own high-danger period, and it can start earlier or run longer in dry, hot years. Fire use can also be restricted outside the period. Look up the current order from your region's environment department before lighting any fire.

• Living in or near a high-risk area: Galicia, Castilla y León, Asturias, Extremadura, Andalusia, Valencia, Catalonia and Aragón have the largest burned areas and highest risk. Homes next to forest are most exposed. Check your address in SIGPAC and your region's zone viewer, then ask your ayuntamiento or regional forest service.

• Relying on one source: A national map may not show your region's local bans and restrictions. Use AEMET's daily map together with your region's own site or app.

Where to check wildfire risk levels and fire bans

• AEMET, Spain's national weather agency: Check the daily national fire-weather risk map, plus heat and wind warnings for your area.

• EFFIS, the European forest fire information system: View the fire weather index across Spain and Europe.

• MITECO, the Spanish environment ministry: Look up national wildfire statistics and national fire information.

• Junta de Castilla y León: Check daily risk levels, use-of-fire restrictions and bans in Castilla y León.

• Generalitat de Catalunya (Agents Rurals and the Alertes app): Check daily risk levels and bans in Catalonia, and get alerts on your phone.

• Generalitat Valenciana: Check daily risk levels, use-of-fire restrictions and bans in the Valencian Community.

Frequently asked questions

Who decides when the official high-danger period starts in my region?

Your region decides, because each autonomous community's environment or rural affairs department declares the high-danger period (época de peligro alto).

Can fire use be restricted outside the official danger period?

Yes, the regional authority can restrict the use of fire outside the official period when the risk is high. Check your region's site for current restrictions before lighting anything.

How can I find out if my address is in a high-risk zone or next to forest?

Start with your cadastral reference, then find the parcel in SIGPAC, the Ministry of Agriculture's parcel viewer, where forest land is marked FO.

Why do hot, windy nights make a fire so much worse?

Hot nights with low humidity stop vegetation from recovering moisture overnight, so fires keep burning fiercely after dark.