MAP: How to find out where Spain's active wildfires are

Spain has been experiencing one of its worst summers for wildfires this year, causing devastation across thousands of hectares, as well as killing four people. Here's how to use Google to find out where active blazes are occuring.

Spain has been experiencing many intense wildfires this summer due to prolonged heatwaves, more kindling because of the wet spring and of course climate change. And after 16 consecutive days of heat waves, many fires still rage on with no end in sight.

A total of 224 fires have been reported so far this year, according to data from the Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

The amount of burnt land across the country now exceeds 344,000 hectares, more than 200,000 of which occurred since the second half of August alone.

The figures even exceed those of 2022, the most devastating year so far for wildfires in Spain.

These fires can be particularly scary if you live in the nearby areas or if you find yourself travelling through an area that has been ablaze or covered in dark smoke.

Thankfully, there is a way to find out where the active wildfires are, how intense they are, how big they are and the current status of each, via Google Maps.

Google combines public data with satellite imagery and automated models to provide the information, which is frequently updated.

The Google Maps app is accessible from both iOS and Android. You can also find it on your desktop browser at maps.google.com. Here you'll find a layer specifically dedicated to wildfires.

To find it, simply open Google Maps and tap the layers icon. On a computer, it's located in the lower right corner. Once it appears it will shift to the left and you’ll click on 'Layers'. From here, click on more and then on the 'Wildfires' icon.

On a mobile device, it appears on the home screen. From the menu, select 'More' or 'Crisis Layers'. then activate the 'Wildfires' layer like before.

You need to zoom into a particular area to be able to see them.

Once activated, the map shows real-time data such as satellite-detected hotspots, estimated fire perimeters, and impacted areas. SOS icons include emergency phone numbers, links to civil protection, and evacuation alerts.

If you click on a particular fire, it will display a tab with expanded information, which may include evacuation routes, help centre information, or other official maps.

As a user, you can also report road closures or detours due to wildfires.

You can also find this map easily by simply googling 'Incendios España Google'. Then if you scroll down past the top stories you will see a map of the affected area. Click on it and it will bring you again to the wildfire layer, where you can get all the above information.

Remember, Google Maps should not replace official alerts from the emergency services. The app is useful for quickly finding out what’s happening and travel precautions, but in case of danger, you should always listen to the appropriate authorities.

If you want to know about past fires, you can also look at this map from Civio which shows all the wildfires in Spain between 1968 and 2017 that burned one hectare or more.

It also gives information on whether or not the fire was started intentionally, accidentally or through negligence or if the cause was unknown.

Additional information adds details on the number of people killed or injured in each fire.

You can also find the fires that have occurred since then – up to 2023 in the available provinces by selecting the year you want.

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