The lethal link between hunting and wildfires

The 2025 wildfire season in Spain is breaking historical records. The European tool Copernicus (EFFIS) has counted 344,417 hectares (over 851,000 acres) burned so far this year by mid-August, already surpassing 2022 levels. In this context, nearly 95% of wildfires in Spain are human-caused (negligence or intentional), and more than half are deliberately set. This dramatic scenario has reignited the debate about the motivations behind so many fires and their consequences.

Among intentional fires, those linked to hunting or so-called game management interests hold a prominent yet paradoxical place. On one hand, they represent a very low percentage of the total. For example, the regional government of Castilla y León counted only 128 fires linked to hunting between 2013 and 2022, a mere 0.88% of all fires in that decade. Broader studies confirm this trend: of the thousands of forest fires recorded in past decades, only about 5,000 were set “to facilitate or favor hunting.” However, this small number does not reflect the magnitude of the damage. Fires of game-related origin tend to be much more extensive and destructive. According to official historical data, the ~5,000 fires set for hunting purposes razed 73,859 hectares (182,500 acres) by themselves; to these are added another 552 fires due to “hunting conflicts” (another 15,628 ha / 38,600 acres). In contrast, intentional agricultural fires were far more common (over 51,000) but burned a relatively smaller area. In short: more hectares are burned with fewer fires.

Hunting interests include motives such as burning to regenerate pastures, concentrate game species, or clear vegetation that hinders hunting. In practice, hunters or other agents set fires to later facilitate hunting, though they almost never anticipate the disaster that unfolds. Once started, the fire often gets out of control, transforming targeted burns into mega-wildfires.

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The Case of the Aliseda (Cáceres) Catastrophe

The case from the summer of 2025 brutally illustrates this. The fire declared in Aliseda (Cáceres) has already ravaged more than 4,000 hectares (nearly 9,900 acres) and forced the evacuation of entire residential areas. Regional authorities confirmed it was an intentional fire set for hunting interests. The Counsellor of the Presidency and Interior of the Junta de Extremadura, Abel Bautista, detailed that there were two distinct fire sources on the same estate with a hunting motivation, calling the act “heartless.” The enormous ecological damage is denounced: besides destroying forest (and threatening the valuable Los Barruecos Natural Monument), the fire kills and disperses wildlife. Because of this fire, hunting in the Sierra de San Pedro has been suspended for years to allow for regeneration.

This extreme event is only the most visible part of a dangerous trend. In Castilla y León, the regional government had already warned about the concentration of intentional fires in hunting grounds in León and Zamora. Although the 2025 season was dominated by large fires caused by lightning and extreme heat, investigations identified at least three intentional fire sources in Extremadura and Castilla during the first days of August (Aliseda, Jarilla, and another in Cuacos de Yuste).

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Statistics reinforce that fires for hunting purposes are exceptional in number but very serious in impact. For example, the official General Statistics of Forest Fires (EGIF) database from the Ministry records that fires of game-related origin number only a few thousand. However, they account for tens of thousands of burned hectares. In Castilla y León, the few “hunting-related” fires represent less than 1% of the total, while 49 large fires (including the Sierra de la Culebra fire in 2022) — which did concentrate a large part of the region's burned area — don't even reach 1% of the fire count. In other words: although the majority of fires are small, it is precisely the very few large fires (some intentional) that burn the majority of the forest area.

Impact on Wildlife and the Environment

The consequences are twofold: the flames not only devastate woodlands but also annihilate or displace entire populations of wildlife. Animals are double victims when fire ravages ecosystems. On one hand, they are burned to death or injured in the fires; on the other, they lose their habitat and food, being exposed to starvation or predators. The Aliseda flames, for example, advanced near protected areas and bird breeding zones, threatening local species.

The severity of this situation leads us to demand urgent measures. It is important to start by suspending hunting in burned areas for at least one year so that wildlife can recover, as well as prohibiting hunting activities during seasonal hunting periods when there are high-risk weather alerts for fire. To protect wildlife, it is essential to adapt hunting regulations to the reality of climate change and wildfires.

Politicians must act quickly and courageously. Below are some key proposals aimed at prioritizing the conservation of wildlife and forests:

• Immediately prohibit hunting in areas affected by a fire. Hunting should be prevented in ravaged areas for several years to allow for natural forest regeneration and provide refuge for surviving wildlife.
• Toughen penalties for arson. Increase sentences and fines for those who start illegal burns or intentional fires (especially for hunting purposes), treating it as an “ecological crime” that damages heritage and living beings.
• Limit hunting under high-risk conditions. Establish regulations that expressly prohibit hunting during meteorological alerts for drought or extreme heat, as well as in the period leading up to summer. This would prevent the use of fire for hunting purposes in the most dangerous months.
• Integrate animal protection into firefighting plans. Firefighting protocols must include wildlife rescue and custody plans. Furthermore, promote revegetation and the creation of green corridors in burned lands to ensure adequate habitats.
• Review traditional land management practices. Promote sustainable alternatives to the use of fire (e.g., controlled clearing, rotational grazing without burning) and educate hunters on the impact of these actions.

These measures seek a paradigm shift: protecting the forest and its animals must take precedence over hunting interests. The lives of animals cannot continue to pay the price for outdated customs. It is time for legislation and practices in the rural environment to reflect the demands of a society increasingly sensitive and responsible towards the environment and animals.