José Antonio Bruña, a local honey producer, stands on a hillside near the Spanish village of Porto de Sanabria, overlooking his beehives.
He points to a spot a few hundred meters away on the opposite mountain, the origin point of a recent, disastrous wildfire sparked by lightning.
“This August has been a nightmare, not just for me, but for all the local farmers and everyone in the village,” he stated. “At 47 years old, I’ve never witnessed a fire this intense.”
The fire ultimately consumed over 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres) of land, leading to the evacuation of thousands from villages in this heavily agricultural region of northwestern Spain, near the Portuguese border.
This was just one of several significant blazes that have ravaged Spain this summer, impacting 0.8% of the nation’s total land area.
The most affected regions were in the northwest, including Castilla y León and Galicia, as well as the western region of Extremadura.
Honey production, a key industry in rural northwestern Spain, was significantly impacted. Mr. Bruña knows of beekeepers who lost up to 400 beehives in the fires.
While his own 1,500 hives remain intact, spared by the fire stopping just short of his fields, the damage to the surrounding flora will have significant consequences for his business.
“I anticipate at least a 50% reduction in my honey production this year due to the fires, and potentially the same or worse next year,” Mr. Bruña explained, citing the time required for the bees’ essential flowers to regrow.
“Some flower species won’t reappear for another three years,” he added.
Due to the lack of structural damage, he cannot file an insurance claim. He is considering relocating many of his hives to improve the bees’ survival chances and mitigate future losses.
Many livestock farmers have also been compelled to move their animals in recent weeks, both as a safety measure and to ensure access to unburned pasture.
“The situation for farmers this summer has been dire, with one fire following another,” said Fernando García, a cow farmer from Castromil, a village bordering Castilla y León and Galicia.
He spoke after assisting local volunteers and firefighters in containing yet another blaze near the village.
Mr. García has lost around 30 cattle this summer, including 11 recently euthanized due to severe burns. He has even resorted to keeping his cows enclosed due to fire concerns.
“The economic impact is substantial, but the constant tension and sleepless nights are the most significant burden,” he shared.
While farmers like Mr. García expect insurance payments, he foresees increased costs down the line.
“While we may receive compensation now, next year our insurance premiums will likely double or triple, from €5,000 to €10,000 or €15,000, as insurance companies seek to recoup their losses,” he said.
The COAG national farmers’ association estimated in August that the industry had already suffered at least €600 million in damages, with several large fires still burning.
The primary costs include burned fields and properties, and livestock deaths, along with significant damage to beehives and farmers’ animal tracking antennae.
Farmers’ representatives are currently negotiating with regional governments to determine the level of public financial aid for the sector’s recovery.
Tourism, representing 13% of Spain’s GDP and a driver of recent economic growth, has also been significantly impacted by this summer’s fires.
While most coastal tourist areas were spared, the southern province of Cádiz experienced evacuations of hotels, holiday homes, and campsites due to blazes.
The western and northwestern wildfire hotspots have, in recent years, cultivated rural tourism as an alternative to Spain’s traditional beach vacations.
Popular activities include hiking along the Camino de Santiago trail and in the region’s mountain ranges, as well as wine and food tourism.
Sanabria Lake, the largest glacial lake in the Iberian peninsula, and its surrounding natural park are major local attractions. However, the fire that began in Porto de Sanabria in mid-August forced its closure, and smoke drove tourists from nearby towns.
“In August, this area was at peak tourist capacity, including second-home owners,” stated Miguel Ángel Martos, the mayor of Galende, located near the lake.
“But on August 18th, capacity plummeted to just 10%.”
While inconvenient for tourists, the situation has been financially devastating for many locals, including Óscar David García López, who contracts to operate two bar-restaurants on the lake’s shores.
He estimates losses of €80,000 during the lake’s closure in the second half of August, due to bar rentals, employee wages and social security payments, and unsalable food supplies.
“The regional government has offered €5,500 in compensation,” he said with bitter irony. “They will need to provide further compensation because the closure was mandated, not voluntary.”
The Hosteltur tourism association warned that the wildfires’ impact “extends beyond material damage, affecting the image and reputation of these destinations.”
This summer’s events have highlighted the divide between urban and rural Spain. Decades of migration from rural areas, heavily impacted by the fires, have resulted in 90% of the Spanish population now residing in just 30% of the country.
The remaining area, known as la España vacía, or “empty Spain,” is sparsely populated and faces challenges including limited infrastructure, transportation, and schools, as well as complaints regarding EU environmental and sanitary regulations for farmers.
The particularly uncontrollable fires this year have only amplified this discontent.
Miguel Ángel García Diéguez, a resident of Castromil, encapsulated the sentiment of many rural residents who have watched the wildfires with dismay this summer.
“It’s already difficult to survive given the cost of animal feed and fuel – it’s becoming increasingly challenging for farmers to make ends meet,” he said. “And then, on top of everything else, this happens.”
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