Los fires in Ourense in the summer of 2025, especially the August firesThey have marked a turning point in the province. The fire ravaged tens of thousands of hectares, forcing mass evacuations that had not been seen for decades and left behind a scorched landscape, agricultural operations in jeopardy and hundreds of families awaiting aid and a long recovery process.
In response to this situation, the central government and the Xunta have put together a package of emergency measures, financial aid and restoration actions with Ourense as one of the most benefited territories. The priority now is to stabilize the soil, restore the forests, support the livestock sector and strengthen the prevention against new large fires in the coming summers, according to the monitoring of live updates on wildfires in Spain.
Ourense, epicenter of an unprecedented wave of fires
During the month of August 2025, Ourense was at the center of the wave of forest fires which hit Galicia and other areas of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula hard. In the province, more than 20.000 hectares, within a Galician context in which the affected area approached 120.000 hectares, according to data handled by agricultural organizations.
At the state level, the campaign was especially critical: More than 350.000 hectares were burned Throughout the year, and in August alone, around [number] burned 336.000 hectaresconcentrated mainly in Galicia, Castile and León, and Extremadura. Ourense, along with territories such as León, Ávila, Palencia, and Zamora, saw severely hit by large, high-intensity fires.
The consequences were not limited to the loss of forest cover. The advance of the flames caused destruction of homes, road closures and evictions in various rural areas. Towns such as To Mosque, Chandrexa de Queixa, Oímbra, A Pobra de Trives, A Rúa or Manzaneda They experienced days of enormous tension in which many people had to leave their homes in haste.
Government spokesperson Elma Saiz stressed that Behind every number of hectares burned, there are neighbors who have lost something irreplaceable.He specifically mentioned residents of municipalities such as Oímbra (Ourense) or Yeres (León), recalling that alongside the environmental impact There is a strong human, social, and economic component.
Declaration of natural disaster and severely affected area
In response to the magnitude of what had happened, the The Council of Ministers included Ourense among the areas seriously affected by a civil protection emergency due to the summer forest fires, such as the one in Oak tree of AviaThis decision is part of a series of agreements that recognize several of these fires as natural disaster in provinces such as Ourense, Ávila, León, Palencia and Zamora.
The declaration of a natural disaster It is not limited to a symbolic gestureThis involves officially acknowledging the severity of the disaster and allows for the activation of [the emergency response plan/system]. extraordinary aid, subsidies and emergency measures both for environmental restoration and to support affected families and economic activities.
In practice, this consideration opens the door to urgent forest restoration workto the implementation of soil stabilization measures and the financing of projects that reduce the risk of erosion and new fires. Furthermore, it provides legal coverage for various lines of support for farmers, ranchers and landowners whose farms and infrastructure have been damaged.
The central government has insisted that these decisions aim to mitigate the economic and social effects of fires and, at the same time, facilitate the environmental and productive recovery of the hardest hit areas, with special attention to rural areas.
A budget of 9,3 million for restoration after the fires
Within the framework of this institutional response, the Government approved a new budget package of 9,3 million euros This funding is earmarked to address the damage caused by the major forest fires of summer 2025 in several provinces, including Ourense. This amount focuses on emergency hydrological-forestry restoration actions in areas classified as severely affected.
The Council of Ministers took note of various emergency declarations which allow work to begin immediately in the burned forests. These are interventions designed to repair the most urgent environmental damage, strengthen the regeneration capacity of ecosystems and reduce the risk of bare soils being exposed to erosion and runoff processes.
The planned work includes Forest restoration, slope stabilization, runoff control and installation of defenses in the face of landslides or mudslides. The goal is to take advantage of the winter and spring window so that the land can recover some vegetation cover before the next fire season.
In addition to this specific allocation for forest restoration, the Government had already announced direct aid to farmers and livestock breeders affected by the fires, with subsidies ranging from 1.500 to 10.000 euros per farm, within a total budget of 27 millones de euros at the state level.
More than 5,2 million euros for Ourense: distribution for fires
Within those 9,3 million euros, Ourense is the province that concentrates the majority of the investmentAccording to the spokesperson, it was slightly more than 5,2 million euros will be allocated to hydrological-forestry restoration projects in the mountains of Ourense affected by the major summer fires.
Specifically, the Council of Ministers has approved a series of agreements to emergency work in seven major hotspots of the province: the fires of To Mosque I and II, Chandrexa I, II and III, and Oímbra I and IIEach of these fronts will receive a specific allocation to intervene quickly on the ground.
The quantities planned for each fire are as follows, always as maximums and aimed at to restore the functionality of ecosystems and reduce the risk of degradation:
- To Mosque I: hydrological-forestry restoration works with a maximum amount of 799.911,13 euros.
- To Mosque II: emergency actions with a budget of up to 675.662,08 euros.
- Chandrexa I: restoration work for a maximum of 639.693,34 euros.
- Chandrexa II: hydrological-forestry intervention with a ceiling of 799.502,61 euros.
- Chandrexa III: emergency works funded with up to 782.178,38 euros.
- Oímbra I: restoration work with a maximum of 799.751,30 euros.
- Oimbra II: forest regeneration measures for a maximum amount of 799.827,59 euros.
In total, 5,296 billion euros will be concentrated in these seven areas main areas of Ourense. The intention is to halt the deterioration of soils and riverbeds as soon as possible, promote the regeneration of vegetation cover and to restore, as far as possible, the ecological balance of the burned areas.
Impact on the Ourense countryside: livestock farmers at the limit
Beyond the official figures, the blow of the The fires in Ourense have been felt particularly hard in the livestock sector.The fire swept away not only mountains and pastures, but also food reserves stored for winterauxiliary facilities and part of the infrastructure of many farms.
In numerous cases, the flames ravaged large bales of forage, dry grass and silage that the farmers had prepared to feed their livestock during the cold months. In a matter of hours, a year's work, from harvesting to storage, was reduced to ashes, leaving many farms in a very precarious financial situation.
Representatives from organizations such as Agromuralla They explained that, given the magnitude of the losses, Some producers seriously considered closing their farms.However, the solidarity of the sector itself, with donations of fodder and logistical support, has been key for a large part of the farms to decide to move forward despite the difficulties.
The zones of Extensive livestock farming in Ourense and Lugo They have been especially vulnerable, having limited storage capacityTherefore, shipments of bales and other supplies have been organized in stages, "little by little," adjusting to the specific needs of each farmer to prevent them from spoiling or not having enough space to store them.
In the first few days after the fires, the Department of Rural Affairs of the Xunta The government sent fodder and covered both the cost of the product and its transport, as access to other aid was restricted due to the risk of entering areas with active fires. Subsequently, agricultural associations and sector groups have taken over part of the logistics and supply to the most affected farms.
Forage costs and economic strain on farms
El cost of fodder and hay bales This is one of the main factors affecting the viability of farms directly impacted by the fires. While there is no single calculation summarizing the total value of the losses, the approximate figures provided by agricultural organizations help to understand the economic scale of the problem.
According to estimates from Agromuralla, each bale of forage can be around 25 Euroswith an average of between 26 and 27 units per truck. For a shipment of 27 bales at the quoted price, the total cost would be around 675 euros per truckTo this must be added the cost of transport. In the case of heavier bales, the price can rise to around 30 euros per unit.
Other agricultural sources indicate that, by the beginning of 2026, The fodder purchased in provinces like Zamora is being paid for at around 60 euros per ton.while straw costs around 40 euros per ton and dry grass is at similar levels to forage. To this bill we must add approximately average shipping costs of about 4 cents per kiloHowever, the specific figures depend on the transport company.
In many cases, donations of hay bales and feed These measures have allowed farmers to save money that many are short on after the summer of wildfires. Even so, cost pressures remain very high, especially considering that The farmgate price of milk barely exceeds 50 cents per liter In some farms, it is still below the state average.
Something similar happens with the Galician beef, whose value in livestock markets is around 9 euros per kilo According to the latest data, for farms affected by the fires, the income from the sale of milk and meat is not enough, in many cases, to cover the costs. extraordinary food and replacement expenses that have been generated after the loss of reserves.
Aid to farmers and livestock breeders and institutional support in Ourense
Faced with this scenario, the various administrations have activated a set of Specific aid for those affected by the fires in OurenseAt the state level, subsidies were announced for farmers and ranchers with amounts ranging from 1.500 to 10.000 euros per beneficiary, within a global package of 27 million for territories hit by the major summer fires.
For its part, the The Galician government has allocated more than 17,3 million euros These funds are intended for individuals and businesses affected by the fires. They cover housing reconstruction, support for agricultural and livestock farms, and aid to SMEs whose facilities or production capacity have been damaged.
Agricultural organizations point out that, although this aid is a important support to sustain the sectorThe accumulated damage from the combination of fires, rising costs, and price volatility remains a very heavy burden. Many farms are in a very fragile equilibrium situation and they are waiting to see how next summer's campaign develops.
In municipalities like A Pobra de Trives, A Rúa, Chandrexa de Queixa, Manzaneda or A MezquitaContacts between farmers, associations, and government agencies have been constant to organize food shipments, assess damages, and prioritize the most urgent actions. They have also been coordinated sectoral solidarity networks between different regions and provinces.
If the high-intensity fires If these trends continue in the coming years and continue to hit the livestock sector with the same force as in 2025, many voices in the sector warn that the The possibility of farm abandonment is very highThis would represent a further blow to the already strained balance of the Galician rural environment.
Climate change, prevention and new measures for forest firefighters
The fires in Ourense have reignited the debate about how the Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of large firesThe combination of recurring heat waves, vulnerable forest areas, and extreme weather conditions has turned many areas of the northwest into a tinderbox during the summer months.
The government spokesperson, Elma Saiz, insisted that Climate change is not a theory, but a reality that is impacting towns and cities.In his opinion, the 2025 fires have left "a very painful lesson" that requires rethinking strategies and redoubling efforts in the area of prevention, land use planning and forest management.
One of the messages repeatedly conveyed by the Executive is that Summer fires are extinguished in winterThe idea is to bring forward the tasks of clearing brush, maintaining firebreaks, cleaning forests and planning actions, avoiding concentrating all the measures in the months prior to the high-risk season.
In parallel, the Government has acknowledged the The difficulty and danger of the work of forest firefighters, forest rangers and environmental agentsAt the last Council of Ministers meeting of 2025, an agreement was approved for to bring forward the retirement age of these professionalsas a way to compensate for the arduousness of their work and improve their working conditions.
These initiatives aim not only to strengthen the capacity to respond to future firesbut also to ensure that those risking their lives on the front lines have a recognition commensurate with their responsibility and with sufficient resources to carry out their work.
After a summer in which Ourense has suffered the full consequences of the large forest firesThe measures approved by the Government and the Xunta (Galician regional government) aim to address simultaneously the environmental emergency, the crisis in the agricultural sector, and the need to strengthen prevention. The combination of investments in forest restoration, direct aid to farms, support for rural areas and adaptation to climate change This will be crucial for the province to recover and face the upcoming fire seasons with greater confidence, in a context where the threat of new extreme summers remains very present.
