The Government of Spain increases aid for fire and flood victims this summer

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, during the press conference after the Council of Ministers (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

The Council of Ministers has declared areas seriously affected by civil protection emergencies in a number of territories, which suffered from forest fires and floods between 23 June and 25 August.

As a result, the Executive is opening the procedure to allow victims to claim all the aid provided for in the legislation as soon as possible. "Citizens and institutions will have the Government at their side at all times, and they will have all the help they need to achieve the greatest possible recovery," said the Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Climate change prevention and rapid response

At the press conference following the Council of Ministers, Grande-Marlaska explained that the declaration covers all the areas affected by one of the 113 major forest fires recorded this summer. In addition, the Executive's agreement includes five territories which, at the end of June, suffered Isolated High Level Depression (DANA) episodes or heavy rainfall. In total, the declaration covers 16 autonomous communities.

As 15 major fires are still active, it is too early to make an assessment of the damage, according to Grande-Marlaska, but "we are facing one of the biggest environmental catastrophes in recent years and the damage to people, infrastructure and public and private property is high." The Home Affairs minister recalled that the Council of Ministers on 24 June last year approved another agreement to declare areas affected by this type of emergency. The consequences of climate change, he added, are present on a daily basis, so it is "increasingly important to continue to make progress in areas such as prevention and rapid response."

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlask, during his speech at the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

This summer's fires have occurred in three major waves: the first took place at the end of June, the second started on 7 July and the third, which has not yet ended, started on 8 August. The latter has coincided with the most intense heat wave on record since official records began in 1975, according to Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Means available to the autonomous communities

The minister also pointed out that on 11 August - after being informed of the existence of nine serious fires - the Directorate General for Civil Protection and Emergencies, "in a proactive manner and in order to anticipate the situation", activated phase 1 of the National State Emergency Plan. The objective was to provide all available state resources to the autonomous communities affected, as well as those offered by other communities and the resources provided by the European Union.

In recent days, in order to fight the fires in Extremadura, Castilla y León, Galicia and Asturias, the Directorate General has coordinated the deployment of all land and air resources managed by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the largest activation of resources of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) in a period of similar duration since its creation and the largest European contingent deployed to intervene in a civil protection emergency.

With regard to the current situation of the fires, the Minister for Home Affairs pointed out that the fires causing the greatest concern due to the weather conditions are those of Porto, in Zamora, Garaño, in León, and A Pobra do Brollón, in Lugo. Conditions will not be optimal for extinguishing today and tomorrow, so Grande-Marlaska has called for "maximum caution".

Condolences and solidarity with the victims

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, during the press conference after the Council of Ministers | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

During his appearance, both the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, expressed their condolences to the families and victims of the fires and their solidarity with the more than 35,000 people who have been forced to leave their homes.

They also expressed their hope for a speedy recovery of the injured and acknowledged the work of the thousands of people who continue to extinguish the fires. Grande-Marlaska expressly referred to the firefighters and forestry agents, the Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades (BRIF), environmental agents, the Military Emergency Unit and the rest of the Army, the Civil Guard, the National Police, local police, volunteers, health workers, psychologists and all the men and women who form part of the National Civil Protection System.

Anti-corruption plan

The Council of Ministers has approved the State Anti-Corruption Plan announced on 9 July by the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, during his appearance in the Lower House of Parliament. The plan includes fifteen measures to prevent corruption, strengthen controls, protect whistleblowers, strengthen sanctions, recover stolen assets and promote a culture of integrity.

Pilar Alegría stressed that the plan includes all the recommendations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Commission and civil society.

The Executive has also approved the creation of a ministerial commission, chaired by the First Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Treasury, María Jesús Montero, who will promote and coordinate the plan.

Reception of unaccompanied migrants

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Minister for Education, Vocational Training and Sports and Government Spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, upon their arrival to the press conference | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

The Government Spokesperson also reported on the approval of the ordinary capacity of the system of protection and guardianship of unaccompanied minors in the autonomous communities and cities.

The ordinary capacity of reception systems is calculated at a ratio of 32.6 places for unaccompanied minors per 100,000 inhabitants for the country as a whole. Those autonomous communities and cities that multiply their ordinary capacity by three will be declared in a situation of extraordinary migratory contingency, which will activate the transfer protocol.

Pilar Alegría stressed that today's decision is an important step towards guaranteeing the rights of children and adolescents who arrive alone in our country, to whom "we have the obligation to provide a dignified, supportive and humanitarian welcome."

Zaragoza, venue of the Sixth Turespaña Convention

The Government Spokesperson also announced that the Ministry of Industry and Tourism has selected Zaragoza as the venue for the Sixth Turespaña Convention, to be held in October 2026.

This annual event is conceived as a channel and forum for the exchange of information and for the joint reflection of the Spanish tourism sector and to strengthen its leadership, according to Pilar Alegría.

Non official translation