Firefighter’s Viral Plea: "We Are Fighting Something We Have Never Seen"

Ángel Malanda is a forest firefighter in Spain. He works 12-hour shifts, sometimes longer, with limited resources. Now, he is fighting fires that keep reigniting and spreading faster than ever. But instead of support, he and his colleagues often face anger and insults from the public. “Yesterday in Casavieja, some colleagues were called every name you can imagine,” Malanda told elDiario.es. “A woman said loudly, ‘About time you showed up.’ We know we have to stay quiet. The priority is to put out the fire.” Malanda wrote a letter that went viral. In it, he asks for patience. He explains that when firefighters stop moving, it is not laziness. It is part of a larger strategy. “If we have to stay still, it is because we received that order,” he says. The fires have burned 50,000 hectares in just a few weeks. Malanda says the conditions are unlike anything he has seen. “Today, we fight against fire fungi we have never seen before. Sometimes I feel like I am in a video game. I cannot process what I am living through. It is a miracle no one has died.” Malanda works as a “forest peon,” a title that does not officially call him a firefighter. He earns about seven euros per hour, with risk bonuses under two euros. Many of his colleagues have unstable contracts. A survey he conducted shows only 28% of helicopter crews have full-year contracts. 36% will be fired in October. He also criticizes the lack of public recognition for his team. “Everyone focuses on the military unit. I do not take away their merit. But the regional government should also highlight our work. We are paid by taxpayers.” The emotional toll is heavy. Malanda has watched the landscapes of his childhood burn. “I have lost my childhood, the places of my memories. Two of my colleagues lost their homes. Your sister calls to say they might be evacuated. You try to focus on the shovel, but your mind goes to your family.” Climate change makes the job harder. “If the grass is dry, you don’t need a lighter. Just snap your fingers and it burns,” Malanda says. Nights used to bring relief. “Now, even at night, the humidity does not help. Years ago, this did not happen.” Despite the hardship, Malanda asks for one thing: do not call him a hero. “I am just a person trying to do my best. That is all. Nothing more. Never a hero.”