Dutch firefighters busy Spanish wildfires, learning from local crews
Dutch firefighters are extremely busy on their training mission in Spain, set to last until the 15th August. Forty Dutch personnel are taking part with the goal of helping and learning from their Spanish colleagues.
This comes as the Netherlands itself faces a growing risk of serious wildfires because of the warming climate. There was a large wildfire in April at a military training ground near ‘t Harde, and in 2025 a major heath fire in Ede was ignited by a training grenade.
In recent days the team has put out fires in Catalonia near Farrera in the Pyrenees and near Cervelló, west of Barcelona, among other places.
“In very difficult terrain, lightning the previous evening had started a fire that began to flare up,” the Dutch team wrote on its blog about the Farrera fires.
“Because fire engines could barely reach the area, a lot of the work had to be done with hand tools.” The Dutch carried on until late into the night, working alongside specialized Spanish fire units. “At five in the morning the colleagues were able to go to bed.”
Catalan firefighters approach wildfires by focusing on blaze behavior rather than simply attacking the flames, the Dutch team wrote. Specialized personnel continuously assess how a blaze is likely to spread, factoring in weather, terrain, and vegetation. Then they target the spots where their efforts will have the greatest impact while remaining safe.
During their work the Dutch firefighters are being looked after. “It is very hot in Spain, and therefore also in Catalonia, so there is a strong focus on drink breaks and rest periods so they can recover,” the team wrote earlier this week. “This is important, because the risk will rise further in the coming days and the team may be deployed for longer periods to new wildfires.”
