In a peaceful green meadow within the Gredos mountains, west of Madrid, a group of cows belonging to Juan Ángel Izquierdo and his family graze quietly, their neck bells gently ringing. This serene scene is contrasted by the blackened remains of pine and oak trees surrounding them, the result of a devastating wildfire that swept through the area in late July. Izquierdo, whose family has farmed this land for 200 years, recalls the fire as the worst he has ever seen. It merged with two other fires, burning around 80,000 hectares—Spain’s largest recorded blaze. The fire consumed two-thirds of his land, killed 12 of his 85 cows, and forced the humane euthanasia of eight more due to injuries. His winter hay supply was also destroyed. Izquierdo says the changing climate is making summers increasingly difficult for farmers, with hotter temperatures, less rainfall, and a shorter wet season. Wildfires have become a growing concern for Spanish farmers like Izquierdo. "If you don’t think about the wildfires too much, you feel okay," he says. "But when a fire starts in a nearby village, you start wondering—'and what if we're next?'" These fires are a visible effect of climate change, which has significantly impacted Spain's economy and caused human tragedies. According to World Weather Attribution, an international research organization, the extreme weather conditions that led to record-breaking fires in Spain and Portugal in 2025 were 40 times more likely due to global warming. Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, president of the Spanish Meteorology Association, notes that the rise in greenhouse gases, mainly from fossil fuels, is the main driver behind the increased frequency and intensity of such fires. Spain has faced an escalating number of wildfires in recent years. This year alone, around 300,000 hectares of land have burned, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), nearly half of the total affected in the European Union. In the last 40 years, Spain has exceeded 200,000 hectares burned annually on eight occasions, three of which have occurred since 2022. The economic toll is significant, with farming insurance association Agroseguro estimating that 16,000 hectares of crops were destroyed by mid-August. Local authorities in Castilla y León, the region hardest hit by the fire near Madrid, are offering compensation ranging from €5,500 to €25,000 per affected farmer. However, Izquierdo believes this will cover less than half of his losses. Spain's warm climate has long supported its tourism industry, with sun-drenched resorts along the Mediterranean and in the Balearic and Canary Islands drawing millions of visitors. This year, Spain is expected to welcome nearly 100 million foreign tourists, making it the second most-visited country in the world. However, rising temperatures are beginning to deter some visitors. A study by researchers at Madrid's Rey Juan Carlos University found that heatwaves can reduce the number of overnight stays and arrivals from key markets. María Dolores Sánchez, an economist involved in the study, warns that with tourism representing 13% of Spain's GDP, this could affect the country's competitiveness in the medium term. In response, some tour guides, like Diego Esteban in Toledo, are adapting by offering more frequent breaks, providing water, and planning shaded itineraries. Others are shifting their travel seasons to cooler months, contributing to the "coolcation" trend, where Spaniards seek cooler destinations in the north.