Could Wildfires Overshadow Spain’s Solar Eclipse?

Spain will be in the path of totality for a solar eclipse on Aug. 12. Not only is it the first time this type of celestial event has been visible to the mainland since 1905—it is also taking place during Europe’s peak tourism season, which runs from June to August. Millions of people live within the 190-mile-wide eclipse path, which reaches 36 of the nation’s 50 provinces, while hundreds of thousands of international travelers are also expected to visit for the occasion. Tourists are expected to flock to cities and towns along the path of totality—including parts of Aragón, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, and Valencia—as well as nearby hubs, where a deep partial eclipse will be visible, like the capital city of Madrid. But with multiple wildfires raging amid a particularly hot and dry summer, the rare experience of observing a total solar eclipse may be disrupted by evacuations and widespread smoke.What are the fire conditions leading up to the eclipse?While Spain is used to wildfires, record-breaking heat in June created a tinderbox in Western Europe, prompting two catastrophic fires: one that broke out on July 24, in the Guadalajara province just northeast of Madrid, devasta...