Disasters & Incidents
Spain says 60,000 people have fled wildfires near Madrid
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said firefighters were working to protect lives as wildfires burned west of Madrid, while authorities said a separate fire in eastern Spain had killed one person.
The interior ministry said 60,000 people had fled their homes in the dry countryside around Madrid and neighbouring Avila province. A central government delegate in Madrid had earlier given a higher estimate of about 70,000. Officials have described the Madrid-region fire as the worst on record for the area.
Sanchez, speaking in the village of Cenicientos in the fire zone, said the priority was to save lives and protect inhabited areas. He warned that difficult hours remained because the direction and strength of the wind were still unclear, although lower overnight temperatures had created what he called an opportunity to fight the fire over the weekend.
The smell of smoke reached central Madrid early Saturday, and the health ministry advised people on X to avoid spending long periods outside because of poor air quality. Evacuees from nearby villages were taken by bus to sports halls around the capital.
The interior ministry said another 30,000 people had been evacuated from villages near Madrid and nearly 30,000 from Avila province. It said 8,000 people in Madrid and 20,000 in Avila had been ordered to remain inside their homes.
Two separate wildfires in the Madrid region joined on Friday to form a large blaze, which threatened to merge with a third fire near Avila in Castilla y Leon. The Madrid regional government said more than 2,000 people were being cared for in 14 emergency evacuation centres.
In the east, the local authority in Manises said one person was killed by a separate, smaller fire in a ravine near Valencia. It did not give further details.
Evacuees described rapid departures as smoke and alerts spread. Rosa, 56, said she initially resisted leaving Robledo de Chavela because she wanted carers to rescue feral cats she keeps, but police later removed her from her home. She said her asthma worsened in the smoke. Jacqueline Villafranca, 38, said she was evacuated from Navalagamella to Alcobendas with her husband and two daughters after phone alerts sounded.
According to figures cited from the European Forest Fire Information System, fires have burned more than 168,000 hectares in Spain so far this year. The same system said Spain recorded its worst recent wildfire season in 2025, when more than 393,000 hectares were destroyed.
Update
Spain's interior ministry said 60,000 people had fled, while an earlier central government delegate estimate had put the number at about 70,000.
Authorities said 30,000 people had been evacuated from villages near Madrid and nearly 30,000 from Avila province.
Authorities ordered 8,000 people in Madrid and 20,000 in Avila to stay in their homes.
A separate smaller fire near Valencia killed one person, according to the local authority in Manises.
Smoke reached central Madrid, and the health ministry advised people to avoid long periods outdoors because of bad air quality.
Two separate wildfires in the Madrid region combined on Friday and threatened to merge with a third fire near Avila.
EFFIS figures cited by the source said fires had burned more than 168,000 hectares in Spain so far this year and more than 393,000 hectares in 2025.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 17:10:44 UTC.
Update
The government said 70,000 people had fled their homes because of the fires.
Spain's government delegate to Madrid said another 25,000 people had been evacuated from villages near Madrid.
The health ministry advised people on X to avoid long periods outside because of bad air quality.
Two separate wildfires in the Madrid region combined on Friday into one large blaze and threatened to merge with a third near Avila.
The government delegation in Madrid said overnight conditions helped firefighters and that the fires advanced little and decreased in intensity.
EFFIS figures cited by the source said fires have burned more than 168,000 hectares in Spain so far this year, after more than 393,000 hectares burned in 2025.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 15:15:46 UTC.
Update
An official said Spain evacuated 25,000 more people from the fire zone.
The official said the total number evacuated is now more than 70,000.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 10:57:29 UTC.
Update
Spain's interior ministry said the total number evacuated had risen to more than 45,000.
The ministry said fires in Avila province near Madrid forced the evacuation of seven more villages.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 10:39:38 UTC.
Update
Spain's interior ministry said another 10,000 people had been evacuated because of wildfires in Spain.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 10:28:09 UTC.
Update
The interior ministry said 35,000 people had fled their homes.
Sanchez spoke in Cenicientos and warned that wind conditions remained uncertain despite lower temperatures.
The mayor of Brunete said she was very worried for residents and described the fire as a catastrophe.
Two separate wildfires in the Madrid region combined on Friday and threatened to merge with a third near Avila in Castilla y Leon.
The Madrid government delegation said 10 villages had been evacuated and three were under stay-at-home orders.
The Madrid regional government said more than 2,000 people were being looked after in 14 emergency evacuation centres.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said nine other fires were burning elsewhere in Spain.
EFFIS said more than 168,000 hectares have burned in Spain so far this year.
Source note: AFP news report published on 25 July 2026 at 09:54:30 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The interior ministry gave a 60,000 evacuation figure, while an earlier central government delegate estimate was about 70,000.
Sanchez said the future direction and strength of the wind were unclear.
The local authority in Manises did not give further details about the person killed near Valencia.
Source
AFP news report published on .