A wildfire broke out near the high-speed rail line between Les Borges Blanques and L'Espluga de Francoli in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, on June 18, disrupting train services on the Madrid-Barcelona route [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Train operators Adif and Renfe suspended services between Lleida-Pirineus and Camp de Tarragona at firefighters' request while they worked to control the blaze [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The affected section lies along the key high-speed corridor connecting Spain’s capital to its second-largest city.
The wildfire adds to concerns as Spain prepares for its first heatwave of the season, with temperatures forecast to rise starting Saturday, June 20, before sharply increasing on Sunday, June 21 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Inland valleys could see highs between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, while eastern regions might reach 40 degrees.
The Spanish weather agency warned of a significant fire risk driven by dry storms delivering little rainfall, especially in northern and interior regions [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The heatwave is expected to peak on June 22, with some locations reaching up to 42 degrees Celsius [3, 4, 5].
Last summer, Spain and Portugal endured a 16-day record-breaking heatwave that contributed to devastating forest fires, setting a challenging precedent for fire management this season [1, 2].
Temperatures began to rise noticeably across Spain on June 20 [3, 4, 5], with fire risk intensifying throughout northern interior regions and along coastal areas such as Galicia and the Cantabrian coast by June 21 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Authorities continue firefighting efforts near the rail line as they monitor weather conditions ahead of the expected heat peak on June 22 [3, 4, 5].
