Spain has battled several devastating wildfires. The disaster is prompting claims that the fires were deliberately caused to make way for construction projects. Here is why these claims are false.

Ourense

Recent wildfires in Spain have led to widespread online disinformation, with some claiming the fires were intentionally started to clear land for construction projects. However, Spanish law, specifically La Ley de Montes, prohibits changing the use of forest land affected by fire for 30 years, except in rare, pre-approved cases or for essential public infrastructure.

Investigations into specific incidents, such as fires near Cádiz and Madrid, found no evidence supporting claims of deliberate burning for development. In all cited cases, either the land was already classified for urban use, was not affected by the fire, or the proposed projects were unrelated to the burn zones. Authorities emphasize that these rumours are unfounded and that legal safeguards prevent exploitation of wildfire-affected areas for construction.

No, Spain’s wildfires weren't purposely started for construction

No, Spain's wildfires were not deliberately started for construction projects. Spain is battling its worst wildfire season in three decades, with several major fires ravaging hundreds of thousands of hectares across several regions. The fires were made worse by the summer heatwaves. However, a wave of online disinformation is claiming that the wildfires were caused on purpose to clear the land for construction projects. But this claim is false. Spain has a law, called La Ley de Montes, that explicitly forbids changing the use of any forest land affected by fire for 30 years. It's a safeguard specifically designed to prevent intentional burning for development. There are only two exceptions. The first is in case land use changes were already approved before the fire. The second allows a change if it's necessary to build infrastructure that will be essential for the public interest. This means that developers cannot exploit fires to bypass these rules, so claims that there are loopholes like selling or burning land to force reclassification are entirely false. Other false posts claim that the blaze in Cádiz in Andalusia was started on purpose to enable several coastal developments. The fire in Andlanterra in Tarifa passed near two housing developments, but these plots had already been designated as urban land. Besides, they were not damaged by the fire. Another rumour claims that the fires would facilitate construction on a luxury tourism project in El Endizcal. But not only is this project planned outside of the burn zone within a natural park, it has also not even entered the construction approval process yet. Meanwhile, near Madrid, a wildfire in Tres Cantos was linked to a new solar farm. But the solar plant site is 12km away in a different municipality, has had its full approval since 2024 and did not rely on any fire-related land clearance.

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