World · Europe · 3 hrs ago
About 2,000 Spanish forest firefighters lose work after summer season
When Spain’s summer wildfire campaign ended on 1 November, about 2,000 forest firefighters lost their jobs or moved to other work, according to the CSIF union.
The union says the number may be higher because fire services are run by different levels of government.
Many firefighters have seasonal contracts, and some do not return for the next campaign because of insecure work and poor conditions.
That can leave fire services with fewer workers during winter, when teams also carry out prevention work.
The issue matters because wildfires are no longer limited to summer, and 275,209 hectares had burned in Spain by 20 September, the largest area for that period in 10 years.
The union says some regional teams face staff shortages and short-term contracts, including around 700 temporary workers in Castilla-La Mancha.
The sources do not say when or how staffing will change; firefighters whose contracts end are left to seek other work until positions reopen.
About 2,000 forest firefighters across Spain lost their jobs or moved to other work when the summer fire season ended, according to estimates by the CSIF union.
The summer campaign ended on November 1, bringing an end to many firefighters’ contracts.
CSIF says the number affected may be higher because staffing arrangements vary among government bodies.
The union says seasonal contracts and poor working conditions also affect winter fire-prevention work.
- Who
- About 2,000 forest firefighters across Spain, according to CSIF estimates.
- What
- Their contracts ended with the summer campaign, leaving them unemployed or working in other jobs.
- When
- The summer campaign ended on November 1, 2026.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- Their contracts ended with the close of the summer fire season.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Wildfires had burned 275,209 hectares in Spain, the largest area for this period in 10 years.
The high-risk fire season ended in Andalusia.
The summer campaign ended, and many forest firefighters’ contracts came to an end.
El Mundo published its report on the job losses.
- Estimated job losses
- Around 2,000 forest firefighters
- End of summer campaign
- November 1, 2026
- Area burned by September 20
- 275,209 hectares
- Andalusia campaign reduction
- CSIF estimates INFOCA staffing will fall by 40%
- Temporary workers in Castilla-La Mancha
- Nearly 700
- Castilla-La Mancha contract length
- As little as 103 days
What people are saying
We find that forest fire-fighting personnel and operations are once again being reduced to a minimum, a practice repeated every year, despite climate change meaning that forest fires on the Peninsula are no longer limited to the summer season.
We are talking about 210 public-sector positions in the Community of Madrid that go to the employment service or to precarious jobs to survive the winter, until the next summer season.