New heatwave, stronger winds threaten to complicate firefighting efforts in Spain

Firefighters in Spain are racing against the clock as cooler weather and lighter winds offer a brief window to contain the country's record-breaking wildfires - but forecasters warn that a new heatwave and stronger gusts are already on the way.

The most destructive fire on record in Spain has reduced dozens of homes to ash in Burguillos, Avila.

"We saw it coming since Wednesday, but they did nothing, they didn't come and put it out. The wind was fierce, so strong. Then suddenly, at four pm on Thursday the flames were all around us and we were out of here in three minutes, a hair's breadth from the fire, we only just escaped," said Nacho Aguinaga, a neighborhood community president.

This popular family summer destination - normally bustling with summer camps and watersports - has been transformed into a staging ground for firefighting aircraft refilling their tanks. Nearby, a camping area is still smoldering.

All residents made it out safely. But behind the human relief lies an environmental tragedy - the loss of biodiversity has been catastrophic.

"The other side of the reservoir is the Iruelas Nature Reserve. There are native roe deer, wild boar, and there's a protected area for vultures higher up. The deer were dead on the road, we had to drive around them. It's a horror story, just horrible," said Aguinaga.

Spain is enduring one of its most destructive wildfire seasons in recent years. Official data from Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition show that as of July 24, wildfires have decimated over 172,000 hectares nationwide -- six times the area burned during the same period in 2025.

The fires have ravaged thousands of hectares across Spain, with the government declaring a national emergency.

The Madrid region, Avila and Toledo have been the hardest-hit areas, with nearly 100,000 people evacuated or ordered to remain indoors across 46 municipalities, according to the latest official figures. The Avila blaze has evolved into Spain's most extensive wildfire on record, burning approximately 50,000 hectares, roughly five times the area of Barcelona.

Thousands of firefighters, soldiers, police officers and civil protection personnel have been deployed across the affected areas.

The U.S. dollar fell in late trading on Tuesday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, dropped to 0.12 percent to 101.417 at 15:00. (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro rose to 1.1387 U.S. dollars from 1.1368 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was up to 1.3289 dollars from 1.3288 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 163.86 Japanese yen, higher than 163.78 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar was little changed against the Swiss franc at 0.8190 franc, and it decreased to 1.4105 Canadian dollars from 1.4125 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar diminished to 9.6954 Swedish kronor from 9.7285 Swedish kronor.