Wildfire in Spain's Doñana National Park burns 250–400 hectares of ecologically critical dunes and marshland

Fire in the heart of Doñana

A wildfire declared on Sunday afternoon in the Rincón del Membrillo area of Almonte, Huelva, continues to burn inside Doñana National Park. The fire has affected between 250 and 400 hectares, according to varying estimates from the Guardia Civil and the Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC). The EBD-CSIC described the affected zone as an area of "enormous ecological value and key for biodiversity," noting that the flames are impacting the dunes and corrals of Marismillas.

The fire affects the dunes and corrals of Marismillas in the Doñana National Park, an area of great ecological value. The first estimates from our GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory point to around 400 hectares affected.

Containment efforts

By Tuesday morning, the fire was described as "confined between the sands and the marshes with no potential to escape," according to Antonio Sanz, the acting regional minister of the Presidency and Emergencies. Overnight, 130 firefighters and six pumpers worked the ground, while ten aircraft—including seven helicopters and two heavy amphibious planes—joined the operation during the day. Officials are trying to exploit a window of moderate wind to close off the tail of the fire.

The fire is confined between the sands and the marshes with no potential to escape.

Sanz explained that the fire is not comparable to the devastating 2017 blaze because it is burning at ground level with little effect on tree crowns, which should allow faster regeneration. The head of the fire is advancing slowly against the wind, while the tail remains inactive.

Second fire and arson suspicions

This is the second fire to hit the park on Sunday. An earlier blaze in the Corral del Félix area was extinguished the same day. The coincidence of multiple ignitions in the same area has raised strong suspicions of intentionality. Sanz called the circumstances "striking" and "suspicious," stating that everything points to a deliberately set fire.

The area, the day, the time, and several fires in the same area is quite striking, suspicious, and really everything seems to indicate that it could be a fire of intentional origin.

Pilgrimage disrupted

The fire has forced changes to the annual Romería del Rocío pilgrimage. The Hermandad Matriz of Almonte postponed its return from El Rocío to Thursday afternoon due to the "extraordinary situation." The Plan Romero 2026 emergency committee, led by Sanz, designed an alternative route for the twelve brotherhoods from Cádiz, sending mechanical traction along the beach and animal-drawn carriages by road to avoid the fire zone.

Ecological stakes

Doñana National Park is one of Spain's most important natural spaces. The affected area includes dune systems and seasonal wetlands that are critical for migratory birds and endemic species. The EBD-CSIC is monitoring the situation closely, though cloud cover has made precise satellite assessment difficult. The fire's confinement between natural barriers—marshland on one flank and beach and dunes on the other—has helped limit its spread.