"This fire has been years in the making," writes Pedro Armestre, a freelance photographer based in Madrid who specilizes in forest fires and environmental issues.

"It was only logical -- five million tires illegally dumped to form a giant, 15-meter-high mountain in the open air, a stone’s throw from a residential area. Add to that political infighting that has blocked resolving the problem for years, and you understand how tempting it becomes for someone to settle the whole affair by simply lighting a match…."