A major wildfire that ignited on Wednesday in the sparsely populated Aragon region of northeastern Spain has burned over 12,000 hectares, according to regional authorities, forcing the evacuation of five small villages. No injuries or fatalities have been reported in the blaze, which is being fought by more than 450 firefighters supported by army units and aerial resources.

While the Aragon government on Friday estimated the burned area at more than 12,000 hectares, an earlier assessment by a senior regional security official had put the figure at around 7,600 hectares. The fire, described as one of the most complex the region has faced in years, remains active and is being fuelled by high temperatures, low humidity, and shifting winds. Authorities have warned that the risk of further spread is 'very high'.

The blaze comes just over a week after a ferocious wildfire in the southern Andalusia region killed 13 people, including seven British nationals and an American, and destroyed 7,000 hectares. That disaster was the deadliest wildfire in Spain’s recent history. Scientists attribute the increasing length, intensity, and frequency of such extreme heat events to human-driven climate change, which creates conditions favourable for wildfires and complicates firefighting efforts.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited the fire-ravaged Andalusia area on Tuesday, warned that Spain faces a 'complicated summer' for wildfires. In Aragon, authorities said the night offered a 'window of opportunity' due to cooler, calmer winds, but the fire remained very active. The situation is still developing, and the provisional toll of burned land may rise as assessments continue.