The province of Huelva has experienced a succession of large fires over the last decade, often exceeding 1,000 hectares. This summer, the fires have affected more than four times the area burned in all of Andalusia the previous summer. The fire in Niebla, which started last Thursday, has already covered 20,000 hectares and is shaping up to be the most significant of the season, tripling the regional community's figures from last year (6,327 hectares in 2025).
The flames have consumed part of the territory of Niebla, leading to the evacuation of several villages and generating smoke columns visible from nearby towns and even neighboring provinces. The fire threatens to spread to Sevillian municipalities such as El Madroño and Aznalcóllar, and the first evacuations of Sevillian populations have already occurred.
The complexity of the Niebla fire, with continuous wind changes, high temperatures, and convective phenomena, makes it unpredictable and hinders firefighting efforts. Secondary outbreaks and rapid spread necessitate a constant change in strategy, prioritizing the safety of operators and citizens.
This fire adds to a challenging summer season in the province. At the end of May, flames affected 500 hectares in the Doñana National Park. Subsequently, in June and July, other natural disasters occurred, such as the one in Alosno, Gibraleón, and Villanueva de los Castillejos, which burned nearly 5,000 hectares.
The north and west of Huelva, with extensive forest areas, dehesas, and especially eucalyptus groves, combined with complex terrain and changing winds, create favorable conditions for fires to escalate into gigantic catastrophes. Over the past decade, the province has been the main focus of major environmental disasters.
Among the most dramatic fires of the decade are the Doñana fire in 2017 (over 10,000 hectares), the Almonaster fire in 2020 (15,812 hectares), considered the harshest to date, and the La Granada de Riotinto fire in 2017 (4,168 hectares). The Niebla fire threatens to rank among the most virulent of this decade.
