SHOTLIST: MADRID, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 03, 2025) (ANADOLU – ACCESS ALL) 1. FOREST FIREFIGHTERS HITTING FIRE ON GROUND WITH SHOVELS DURING PROTEST 2. JOURNALISTS AND OTHER FIREFIGHTERS WATCHING PROTEST 3. FOREST FIREFIGHTERS HITTING FIRE ON GROUND WITH SHOVELS DURING PROTEST (2 SHOTS) 4. JOURNALISTS AND OTHER FIREFIGHTERS WATCHING PROTEST 5. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS HITTING SYMBOLIC FIRE ON GROUND WITH SHOVELS IN FRONT OF BANNER, TORCHES AND SMOKE RISINGMADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 03: Forest firefighters in Madrid, who have been on an indefinite strike since July 15, gathered outside the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, September 03 to voice their demands for a pay rise and improved working conditions. The striking firefighters, who suspended their protest between August 15-25 before resuming it, called for “a dignified collective agreement” during their demonstration. Wearing official uniforms, they lit torches, produced smoke, and banged shovels and pickaxes on the ground as part of their protest. Firefighters said that Madrid’s public contractor company Tragsa, which manages forest firefighting services and made $80 million in profit in 2024, has not renewed a collective agreement with them for 10 years. They accused the company’s shareholders of prioritizing profit margins over the workers’ needs. They also stated that they earn an average monthly salary of 1,200–1,300 euros and work in extreme conditions for days with little rest, risking their lives during firefighting operations. Over one million hectares (2.471 million acres) of land have burned across Europe this year, according to the latest data released by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Ongoing wildfires fueled by the heat wave across Europe have pushed the total burned area in 2025 to over one million hectares, accounting for the highest amount in any year since EFFIS' official records began in 2006. According to the data, August accounts for the largest share of the increase, as Spain and Portugal have been battling with multiple fires. EFFIS also shows that the area burned in Spain sharply increased starting in August, reaching around 400,000 hectares (approximately 988,400 acres).