Wildfires near Madrid disrupt tourists’ travel plans and raise air-quality concerns

Wildfires near Madrid have disrupted some tourists’ travel plans and raised concerns about smoke and air quality among visitors and people working in the city’s tourism sector.

Thomas Fawkes, a 49-year-old lawyer from Chicago, said fires burning about 50 kilometres north of Madrid had changed plans for a holiday with his wife and son.

The family arrived from Barcelona three days earlier on a train that was stopped for about 90 minutes because of the fires. Fawkes said the presence of the fires was apparent when the family went outside.

Pilar and Douglas, a retired couple based in New Zealand, said they had seen black smoke near the airport and could smell smoke inside their hotel. Pilar, 69, who did not provide her surname, said she was carrying a mask. Douglas, 71, said they were not concerned that the fire would reach central Madrid but were worried about air quality. The couple planned to fly to Bilbao on Monday but were considering changing their itinerary because of wildfires near Bordeaux in southwestern France. Pilar said they might alter their plans, while Douglas said they could move future summer trips to Europe to spring or autumn.

The European Forest Fire Information System estimated that almost 130,000 hectares had burned in Spain so far this summer.

Letisha Lucas, a 33-year-old Canadian correctional programme officer from Ontario, said she and her friend Lindsay felt nervous after arriving in Spain early on Saturday. Lucas said Ontario had recently experienced large forest fires and that she had not expected to encounter similar conditions during her holiday in Spain.

Raquel Cano, owner of Madrid’s Casa Parrondo restaurant, said the smell of smoke was affecting the tourist experience. She said visitors who had already decided to travel might still come, but that the experience was different when surrounding green areas had been burned.