Protesters call for central government control of wildfires in Spain

Around a thousand people gathered in La Bañeza on Tuesday, following a rally in León city the previous day.

Protesters have urged the regional government of Castile and León to request a Level 3 emergency, which would transfer responsibility for managing the fires to Spain’s central government. Regional leader Alfonso Fernández Mañueco has rejected this.

The crowd also called for the resignations of other high-level officials in local authorities, arguing that regional resources are insufficient.

Organisers said the scale of the fires has exceeded local capacity, putting safety and the environment at risk.