Two People Die in Fires in Spain, Amid Heatwave in Europe

‘My solidarity with all those affected and my recognition to the emergency services that are working to extinguish it,’ Spain’s prime minister said.

In this photo released by Agents Rurals de Catalunya, uncontrolled fire rages across the grasslands in the Segarra region, in the rural province of Lleida, Spain, on July 1, 2025. AP Photo/ Agents Rurals de Catalunya, HO

Two people died on July 1 in wildfires in northeastern Spain, amid the intense heat wave in Europe.

The wildfires spread simultaneously in Torrefeta and Florejacs, in the province of Lleida, across an area of ​​approximately 12,300 acres, according to a statement from the Catalan fire department.

Firefighters found two deceased while trying to extinguish the fires, which were sparked by high temperatures affecting the region.

The two people who died were the owner of a pig farm and a worker at the livestock farm. The owner had gone to rescue the worker when he saw him affected by the smoke. Both got out of the all-terrain vehicle they were riding in on a road in Coscó, in the Oliola area, and were unable to get back in, according to Spanish news agency Efe.

After long hours of work throughout the night, firefighters managed to contain part of the fires but continued their work throughout the day despite the high temperatures.

“Farmers and ADF [Forest Defense Groups] in the area have also been asked to clear certain fields in the frontal zone and the last third of the right flank with tractors and agricultural machinery,” firefighters said in a statement on July 2.

The president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, said: “Most importantly, and you will know this, two people unfortunately lost their lives. I also want to offer a few words of condolence and brotherhood to their families.”

He added, “There are two firefighters with minor injuries who, fortunately, are recovering well.”

He thanked everyone who had been involved in fighting the fires, “especially the firefighters, the rural police officers, the Mossos d'Esquadra [Catalan police], and the local police.”

Illa stated that the fires are very dangerous and urged citizens to follow the instructions of the Civil Protection Service.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lamented the deaths of the two people and sent his heartfelt condolences to their families.

“My solidarity with all those affected and my recognition to the emergency services that are working to extinguish it,” Sánchez said in a post on social media site X.

The Civil Protection Service issued an alert this Wednesday for the high risk of forest fires in the Ribera d'Ebre and Terra Alta regions, and noted that the heat wave in the region would continue until July 4.

High temperatures are affecting much of Europe, with alerts in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.