Spain deploys 35,000 security personnel for solar eclipse surge

Spain is bracing for an unprecedented influx of visitors as around six million people are expected to gather across the country to witness a rare total solar eclipse, prompting authorities to deploy more than 35,000 security and emergency personnel amid extreme heat and heightened wildfire risks.

According to the country's weather office, temperatures could reach 40°C in parts of the country on eclipse day, while authorities have issued high to very high wildfire-risk alerts in several regions.

Officials fear that the combination of dry conditions, heavy traffic and mass gatherings in rural areas could quickly turn a minor incident into a major fire.

Authorities have prepared 660 designated viewing sites, parking areas and campsites. The government estimates that up to 1.5 million people could travel by car to rural areas in northern and central Spain, including locations along the eclipse’s path of totality.

More than 35,000 security and emergency personnel will be deployed, with a coordination centre in Madrid monitoring developments alongside regional authorities.

Spain’s Civil Protection and Emergencies chief Virginia Barcones said authorities were taking special precautions to prevent fires caused by crowds, including discarded cigarette butts.

The wildfire threat is particularly serious this year. Nearly 200,000 hectares have already burned across Spain—almost six times the area recorded during the same period last year. Three major fires were still active Monday evening in Huelva, Segovia and Huesca.

Authorities have urged visitors not to park in unauthorised areas, litter, use barbecues or enter fire-prone zones unnecessarily, as Spain prepares for a celestial spectacle under unusually high fire danger.