Wildfire claims two lives in north-east Spain

MADRID -- Two farmers were killed in a wildfire that burned through 5,000 hectares in the La Segarra district of Lleida province, north-east Spain, on Tuesday, according to local emergency services.

Both victims were local farmers. Reports indicate that one had gone missing, and the other was searching for him. Their bodies were recovered by the Catalan Fire Department.

Around 15,000 residents were instructed to remain indoors as the fire spread rapidly under extreme conditions, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius and winds gusting at 125 km per hour. The intense head and wind contributed to the formation of a pyrocumulus cloud, reaching 14,000 meters in height.

The fire started shortly after 17:00 hours local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday and spread rapidly, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds. These conditions rekindled a second fire nearby that had previously been brought under control. The two blazes created what emergency services described as an "unprecedented simultaneous scenario" in the region.

Firefighters managed to stabilize the fires late Tuesday night, and regional Civil Protection authorities lifted containment measures at 23:11 (2111 GMT).

The President of the Catalan regional government Salvador Illa extended his condolences to the victims' families and urged the public to exercise extreme caution and follow all emergency services instructions.

In recent weeks, a severe heatwave has been scorching Spain and much of southern Europe. Spain's state meteorological agency, AEMET, confirmed that June 2025 was the hottest on record.

AEMET described June as "extremely hot," reporting an average temperature of 23.6 degrees Celsius, higher than typical July and August averages.