The Junta de Andalucía activated its emergency plan after what was classified as the worst August of fires and earthquakes since 1991. The Niebla fire, which devastated 33,000 hectares in a perimeter of 210 kilometers, was the most severe of the high-risk season, causing a natural disaster throughout the surrounding area.
More than 260 fires consumed at least 57,500 hectares, one of the highest figures in the history of Andalucía. The flames devastated agricultural crops, livestock farms and natural sites, causing serious losses and a major impact on the local economy.
The Andalusian administration concluded its reports and agreed to the natural disaster declaration due to the fire in Niebla. Simultaneously, it requested the Government of Spain, which holds the powers, to declare the 15 most affected municipalities in the provinces of Seville, Huelva, Granada and Almería as catastrophic zones.
To these municipalities affected by the fires are added another 16 municipalities damaged by the Granada earthquakes, making a total of 31 catastrophic zones identified in the three most affected provinces.
