WILDFIRES have become a threat to Spain’s summers, leaving burned hillsides, damaged homes and communities facing a future.
In 2025, fires scorched more than 3,500 square kilometres (350,000 hectares) of Spain, one of the worst seasons in decades.
In 2026, the destruction continued, with hundreds of thousands of hectares burned and lives lost.
In this multimedia report we have looked beyond the flames to explore what is driving the fires, what their impact means for people and how we can contain them.
Click on the green button below to read the report:
WWF provided the material used in this report. It is the first time The Olive Press has created a multimedia report at this scale.
And as far as we know, it is the first time such impactful report has featured in an English-language newspaper in Spain.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
Barry Tabrizi is a senior journalist and multimedia storyteller with more than 30 years of experience across print, radio, television, news agencies, and digital media.
From 2010 to 2020, he served as a Chief Sub-editor at the BBC World Service in London, leading a team of 20 broadcast journalists and helping maintain editorial standards for a weekly audience of around 20 million Persian speakers. He authored the BBC Persian Style Guide for the BBC Academy and developed guidelines and training materials for BBC Persian journalists.
During his career, Barry has covered major international stories, including Brexit, U.S. presidential elections, unrests in Iran, Middle East conflicts, immigration, women's rights, environmental issues, terrorism, and energy.
Drawing on experience across multiple platforms, he specializes in editorial leadership, storytelling, and journalism training, helping journalists and content creators produce compelling content for broadcast and digital audiences. Based in southern Spain, he loves to swim, play tennis and explore the rich culture of Andalucia.
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