The King and Queen of Spain have begun a three day visit to some of the areas of the country worst affected by wild fires.
Change of plan for royals
King Felipe and Queen Letizia began in the western region of Zamora which has been badly hit.
The blazes are still so difficult that the initial part of this visit had to be altered. Felipe and Letizia arrived at Lake Sanabria but they weren’t able to look at the impact across the Forcadura canyon because of smoke from the fires still burning was blown across as the wind changed direction.
Instead, they went straight to the Advanced Command Post where they heard about how the fires have developed and the ongoing efforts to put them out completely.
The Spanish king and queen then headed to the Monastery of San Martin de Castañeda where they met some of those who have been forced to leave their homes as the fires spread.
The region of Zamora has seen devastating damage with one blaze, which began near Molezuelas de la Carballeda, now the largest single wildfire in Spain since records began.
Across the country, at least five people have died and almost 8,000 have been evacuated. There are concerns about air quality in affected areas as well.
As the unexpected visits were announced, Spain’s royal court said that King Felipe wanted to learn ”first hand” about the damage suffered and also wanted to hear about the impact on people’s lives and what they need after being hit by the fires.
He was given a preview with a letter sent to him by a farmer who publicised the note which outlined how the flames had consumed the grass needed to feed cattle and expressed concerns about how the harvest and ongoing food production will be affected.
Queen Letizia and King Felipe face criticism
King Felipe and Queen Letizia have faced some criticism for not being more visible as several parts of Spain are hit by wildfires. The Spanish king made a visit to the Military Emergency Unit near Madrid on August 17 to hear about the response to the wildfires which are still burning across several regions. But it was also reported that the Spanish royals were continuing a private holiday in Greece while the blazes took hold and that has led to some complaints.
On the same day King Felipe made his visit, Spain invoked the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time, allowing firefighters from other EU states including France and Italy to deploy to fight the fires.
Across 2025, over 380,000 hectares in Spain have been hit by wildfires according to the European Forest Fire Information System which reports it is the worst year for blazes in the country since 1994. The current firesaffect a number of areas including Castille, Leon, Extremadura, Galicia and Asturias.
The royal visits will take in several of those areas across three days and it’s expected that King Felipe and Queen Letizia will speak to as many of those affected as possible.
They will also hear about the impact of the fires on tourism, one of Spain’s main economic drivers. Initial estimates put first losses in tourism at around £1.3 million as people cancel holidays.
