Spain deploys 35,000 officers ahead of eclipse amid wildfire risk

Madrid, Spain. Spain is rolling out a major police operation and public safety campaign ahead of a total solar eclipse on August 12, coinciding with one of the country’s highest-risk periods for wildfires.

Regional governments expect up to six million people to travel to areas along the eclipse path, where Spain will offer the best views of the event in mainland Europe.

Security operation

Authorities have designated 660 official viewing sites, as well as parking and camping areas, to manage expected crowds.

More than 35,000 officers will be deployed to minimise risks linked to large gatherings in natural areas, including fires caused by dropped cigarettes, Virginia Barcones, secretary-general for Civil Protection and Emergencies at Spain’s Interior Ministry, told Reuters.

“We’ve had an extremely tough summer in Spain, with yet another series of major forest fires. That’s why we must restrict any kind of activity that could generate a spark,” Barcones said.

Heat and wildfire alerts

A control room in Madrid will coordinate the surveillance operation with regional governments.

The full solar eclipse will be visible in totality only from Spain and Iceland early on Wednesday evening.

Several Spanish regions are under alerts issued by weather agency Aemet for the day of the eclipse, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius and wildfire risk rated “high” or “very high”.

Fires continue

Spain, France and Greece have already faced heatwaves and severe wildfires this summer across increasingly dry parts of Europe.

By Monday evening, three major wildfires were burning in the provinces of Huelva, Segovia and Huesca. Fires have scorched about 200,000 hectares in Spain so far this year, six times more than by the same date in 2025, according to the Environment Ministry.