Spanish premier proposes EU wildfire response hub in Mallorca

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that he had sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing the establishment of a European wildfire response hub for the western Mediterranean in Mallorca.

"The place chosen to create a hub for fighting fires in the western Mediterranean, which concerns us and represents us, should be located on the island of Mallorca," Sanchez said, proposing Son San Juan Air Base as the site.

Sanchez also said Spain was currently battling 10 wildfires of varying intensity, including the latest in the northwestern province of Zamora, while evacuation and confinement measures were beginning to be lifted in parts of Avila and the Madrid region.

He described the situation as "critical" and "very complex," saying high temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts were allowing fires to spread "at an exponentially higher rate than what has traditionally been understood as the propagation of wildfires."

Sanchez urged the public to rely on official sources for information.

"I ask citizens to get their information from official channels and verified media, not to pay attention to hoaxes or disinformation," he said.

He added that all levels of government, together with Spain’s National Civil Protection System, were deploying "all the resources" needed to combat the wildfires.

Wildfires have burned more than 172,000 hectares (425,000 acres) across Spain so far this year, with major blazes affecting Avila, Madrid and Castellon.

Authorities declared the Madrid and Avila wildfire stabilized and began lifting evacuation measures, while new fires in Zamora and Leon forced further evacuations.

The government has also designated areas affected by 211 civil protection emergencies across 14 autonomous communities, most of them linked to wildfires.