Key fire data
- Evacuated in Madrid: around 35,000 people in 12 towns (Chapinería, Navas del Rey, Colmenar del Arroyo, Fresnedillas de la Oliva, Robledo de Chavela, Navalagamella, Aldea del Fresno, Zarzalejo, Pedanía de Peralejo, Rozas de Puerto Real, Cadalso de los Vidrios and Cenicientos)
- Evacuated in Ávila: 40,000 people in 16 towns (Sotillo de la Adrada, Navahondilla, Casillas, Santa María del Tiétar, La Adrada, Piedralaves, Casavieja, Burgohondo, Hoyo de Pinares, Villanueva de Ávila, Urbanización La Atalaya de El Tiemblo, Pedro Bernardo, Higuera de las Dueñas, Gavilanes, Mijares and Fresnedilla)
- Evacuated in Castellón: 16,000 people in three neighborhoods of Vall d’Uixò and two of Betxí (the rest of the population of these municipalities is confined), in addition to the towns of Vilavella, Artana, Eslida, Tales, Artesa (hamlet of Onda), Aín, Alcudia de Veo, Alfondeguilla, Sueras, Torralba, Villamalur, Fuentes de Ayódar and Chóvar.
- Evacuated in Toledo: 5,200 in several towns: La Iglesuela del Tiétar, Sartajada, Almendral de la Cañada, Buenaventura, Navamorcuende, Real de San Vicente, Hinojosa de San Vicente, Castillo de Bayuela, Garciotum, Nuñogómez, Pelahustán.
- Confined in Madrid: around 21,132 people (San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Valdemaqueda, Villa del Prado and Pelayos de la Presa)
- Confined Ávila: 8,735 people (Navaluenga, El Tiemblo and Cebreros)
- Hectares burned: 80,000 between Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, 7,000 in Castellón.
The active forest fires in Madrid, Ávila, Toledo and Vall d’Uixò (Castellón) already affect more than 120,000 people who have been evacuated or confined. The vast majority of those affected are residents of towns in Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, while in Castellón 16,000 people have been evacuated.
The fire has burned 50,000 hectares in Ávila, the largest in Spain’s history, and 28,000 in Madrid, while the Almorox (Toledo) fire has burned about 2,000 hectares. The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, explained that the fires are being controlled “slowly” but that both Monday and Tuesday will be key days, as from Wednesday the forecasts are “really negative” due to the arrival of a new heatwave.
Pedro Sánchez visited the affected areas in Castellón this Monday, where 7,000 hectares have burned, and from the Vall d’Uixò command post, he warned that “difficult hours remain” due to the arrival of a new heatwave, asked for the population’s understanding, and reiterated the need to reach a state pact against the “climate emergency”.
Sources from the Government Delegation in Madrid have reported that “the fire in the community has slowed its advance, but remains active and unstabilized.” Extinction teams have worked through the night, and three fronts have been identified, “the most active being North of the San Juan Reservoir.”
Pedro Sánchez: “The Council of Ministers will approve tomorrow the decree for a severely affected disaster zone”
Pedro Sánchez: “The Council of Ministers will approve tomorrow the decree for a severely affected disaster zone. Today I announced measures related to the great climate agreement we announced last year. We must reach a climate pact against the climate emergency because that is good for our citizens,” the Prime Minister insisted on prevention from the Vall d’Uixó command post.
Pedro Sánchez: “The climate emergency raises the level of fire expansion”
Pedro Sánchez: “I always start by thanking the media. Because citizens need truthful information to protect themselves in these moments of anguish against the hoaxes that appear on social networks.” “The climate emergency raises the level of fire expansion.”
“I ask citizens to exercise extreme caution. I ask for patience from citizens who are confined and evacuated from their homes. Difficult hours, complex hours remain. We are going to have an increase in temperatures. Aemet is going to announce a new heatwave. So I ask for understanding. The number of hectares burned in all of 2025 has multiplied by six.”
Llorca: “We are going to start working on the day after, on the recovery of the affected areas”
Juanfran Pérez Llorca, president of the Valencian Generalitat: “It’s difficult to know what happened. But everything indicates that it did not have natural causes. If it is confirmed that it was human-caused, I hope the full weight of the law falls on those people.” I ask that we be exemplary in coordinating the recovery of these areas. We are going to start working on the day after, on the recovery of these areas.”
75,000 kilos of fodder distributed in Madrid
The Community of Madrid has already distributed 75,000 kilos of fodder to livestock farms affected by the fire, out of the 300,000 it plans to deliver in the coming days.
It has been distributed in the Pelayos de la Presa Town Hall, for livestock farms in the area, and in Colmenar del Arroyo, to an extensive livestock farm with more than 750 hectares of affected pasture.
It has also provided 10 water tanks with a capacity of 1,000 liters to supply livestock farms affected by the fire as soon as conditions allow access to the different areas. So far, a total of 14 livestock farms in the region have requested this support, which will serve to feed nearly 1,000 animals including cows, sheep, horses, and goats. Reports Vicente Coll.
Pilar Bernabé insists that “there are no and no natural causes are observed” in the Vall d’Uixó fire
The Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, has insisted that Seprona continues with “all open investigations” to determine the causes of the fire in Vall d’Uixó (Castellón), although she pointed out that “it does not seem, there are no and no natural meteorological conditions are observed” that could have caused the incident.
She stated this after a new meeting of Cecopi at the Advanced Command Post (PMA) deployed in the fire zone, which has forced the evacuation of more than 16,000 people and the confinement of some 65,000 from several towns in the Serra d’Espadà area.
Bernabé highlighted that “some statements have been taken from possible individuals who could testify to events, but all investigations are open.” “I insist, it does not seem that there are natural causes that could have provoked it, therefore, we are working on lines of investigation that we can provide pertinent information on as those investigations progress,” the delegate asserted.
Resident of Talarrubias (Badajoz) investigated for intentionally causing two fires
The Civil Guard has initiated proceedings against a resident of Talarrubias, Badajoz, as an investigated party, accused of causing two forest fires on two successive days.
These two forest fires originated on June 30 and July 1 in the same area within the municipality of Talarrubias, affecting an approximate area of 38.5 hectares of forest vegetation including holm oaks, rockrose, and pastures.
With the initial inquiries, agents obtained sufficient evidence to ascertain that the origin of the fires would have been intentionally caused, supposedly by “the direct application of flame to the abundant and dry existing fuel,” according to the Civil Guard in a press release reported by Europa Press.
Subsequently, the involvement of one of the residents of this town was discovered, who is placed in the time slots and locations of the criminal acts. Although this man allegedly had discrepancies regarding the lease of the property, the Civil Guard continues with the investigation to determine the motivations this person had for causing the fires.
The fire in the western sierra of Madrid has already burned 28,000 hectares
The fire in the western sierra of Madrid has already burned 28,000 hectares, a tragedy against which 300 firefighters from the Community of Madrid, firefighters and forest agents, as well as 50 ground vehicles and eight aerial assets from the Community of Madrid, are fighting.
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has provided updated data on X about the fires devastating the western Madrid sierra, where there are already 11 confined municipalities, more than 55,000 evacuated and confined people, and 2,500 people in the 18 enabled reception points. In addition, 13 regional network roads are cut, and 13 buses from the regional transport service have been made available for evacuations.
Likewise, 21 residences and social policy centers have been evacuated, meaning more than 1,300 people. And seventeen schools are also closed, affecting 309 students.
“We have to take advantage of this window of opportunity. We are going to defeat this fire”
Francisco Martínez, Government delegate in Madrid: “We are working in an urbanization in the San Juan reservoir, where firefighters are working to save homes. The fire is not controlled. But it is crucial that people comply with confinement orders and remain attentive to the restrictions issued by emergency services.”
The government delegate explained that the safety conditions for most evacuees to return home are not yet met. “We ask for one more effort. We know there are 35,000 evacuees and more than 20,000 confined in the Community of Madrid. We send a message of moderate optimism, we have to take advantage of this window of opportunity. We are going to defeat this fire,” he said.
Update on evacuated and confined municipalities
The Ministry of Interior has issued a new update on the population that remains evacuated or confined due to the fires in Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo.
The Vall d’Uixó fire keeps 80,000 residents on edge
The fire declared on Saturday in Vall d’Uixó (Castellón) has already exceeded 7,000 burned hectares, as confirmed this Monday by the Valencian Minister of Emergencies Juan Carlos Valderrama. Even so, the data is hopeful, because it implies that firefighters have managed in recent hours to “contain” the spread of the fire, which by late Sunday had already burned 6,500 hectares after spreading over a 48-kilometer perimeter threatening the Sierra de Espadán.
Read the full story by Noa de la Torre
Extinction team deactivated due to false alarm of a fire in a Segovia village
The operation mobilized after the alert of a possible forest fire in the Segovian municipality of Fuenterrebollo has been deactivated after it was confirmed to be a false alarm, according to the Inforcyl website of the Junta de Castilla y León.
The extinction resources, consisting of two environmental agents, a ground crew, and three fire engines, went to the area after receiving an alert of a supposed fire declared near the Hoces del Duratón Natural Park.
Once on-site checks were carried out, the personnel confirmed that there was no fire, so the device was withdrawn and the alert was canceled.
Area burned by fires in Spain rises to 172,400 hectares, 20,000 more than yesterday
The forest area affected by fires since the beginning of the year in Spain now amounts to 172,396.10 hectares, nearly 20,000 hectares more than those counted this Sunday and almost six times the 29,817 recorded during the same period in 2025.
According to the latest update from the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco) published this Monday, up to July 27, there have also been 35 large forest fires (GIF), three more than those counted a day earlier and compared to the 11 recorded on the same dates last year.
Thus, the number of large forest fires, those exceeding 500 affected hectares, has more than tripled compared to 2025.
The update comes after several days marked by large fires in different parts of the country, especially in Ávila, the Community of Madrid, Toledo, and Castellón. The data is provisional and corresponds to the period between January 1 and July 27, 2026. Reports Efe.
Two key days for fire control given “really negative” forecasts from Wednesday onwards
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, reiterated this Monday that the fires declared in Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo are being controlled “slowly,” but that both Monday and Tuesday are “absolutely central” days against the fires, as from Wednesday the forecasts are “really negative.”
From the Navalcarnero command post, the minister pointed out that one must be “positive.” “We have control over the emergency and the resources, but we must acknowledge that we are moving slowly due to the weather conditions that are not helping us.”
“The northern area of the San Juan reservoir is one of the most concerning.” “We hope that today we can make progress. We are going to be slightly optimistic.” Marlaska specified that there are 35,000 evacuated and almost 22,000 confined in Madrid.
“Southward wind shift” expected in Burgohondo (Ávila)
The technical director of the Burgohondo fire, Alejandro Peñalvo, explained after the work carried out during the night that the meteorology predicts a “southward wind shift” for this Monday, which will be “favorable,” preventing the perimeter of the flames from continuing to expand in that direction and towards the G501 road.
In this regard, Peñalvo noted that this wind shift will allow “controlling that sector” and facilitating work in the Casillas area, preventing the fire from entering the municipality.
Regarding the meteorological evolution, he indicated that the winds have been from the north throughout the night and will shift back to that direction for the next night, so he trusts that daytime efforts will allow “securing the areas to avoid subsequent problems.” Currently, the operation’s efforts are focused on two active areas that concern the personnel: the Mijares pass and the surroundings of the municipality of Casillas. Reports Efe.
Seven extinction resources try to put out a fire in Fuenterrebollo (Segovia)
A fire declared at 10:00 AM in the municipality of Fuenterrebollo has mobilized an extinction device integrated by resources from the Junta de Castilla y León, which is working to put out the flames.
For unknown reasons, the fire originated a few minutes after ten in the morning, and two environmental agents, a ground crew, and three fire engines, in addition to Civil Protection personnel, have been dispatched to the area.
The fire is located near the Hoces del Duratón Natural Park, a circumstance that has motivated the rapid intervention of extinction resources to prevent the spread of the fire. For the moment, no further data on the evolution of the fire or the affected area has been released.
Poor air quality alert due to fires in several parts of Castilla-La Mancha
The General Directorate of Environmental Quality of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha has reported the recording of elevated Particulate Matter values in several air quality monitoring stations in the region due to the smoke cloud caused by the forest fires affecting Ávila and the Community of Madrid.
These elevated values, at 8:00 AM this Monday, have been detected at the measurement stations of Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Ciudad Real, and Puertollano, according to the website of the General Directorate of Environmental Quality consulted by EFE.
Given these elevated particulate values exceeding recommended levels, city councils such as Toledo and Ciudad Real have advised citizens to avoid physical exercise and outdoor sports; if there is a lot of smoke, stay indoors and close doors and windows, use air conditioning in recirculation mode if possible, stay hydrated, and do not carry out burns or use open fires outdoors. They have also advised special caution for the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with asthma, COPD, and other respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.
Complicated night due to wind in the Ávila fire
The fire declared last Wednesday morning in Burgohondo (Ávila), the most devastating in Spain since records began, marks its fifth day this Monday with 40,000 people evacuated in 16 municipalities, a perimeter of 160 kilometers, and a situation of slight improvement despite the scares caused by the wind during this early morning.
Until five in the morning, conditions were not as favorable due to the strength of the wind, which caused small line jumps in the western part of the fire, where the tail of the fire is located, in the Mijares and Gavilanes area; and also in the southern sector, in Casavieja, La Adrada, Sotillo, and Piedralaves, among other municipalities.
The last sector affected by the wind this morning was located between the San Juan reservoir, in the Community of Madrid, and the area near El Tiemblo (Ávila) where the air caused small outbreaks and reactivations already under control. From five in the morning, the wind situation improved, reported the Government Delegation in Castilla y León, according to Efe.
A fire forces high-speed rail interruption in Tarragona
A fire near the infrastructure forces the interruption of high-speed train circulation between Camp de Tarragona and La Pobla de Montornés (Tarragona) from this Monday at 9:48 AM.
High-speed trains on the Madrid-Barcelona route are affected, Adif reported in a message on X.
Ayuso warns about the situation at the San Juan reservoir
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, reported this Monday that the tongues of fire from the Ávila fire “worsen” the situation at the San Juan Reservoir, where 300 firefighters continue to fight to stabilize the fire in the western sierra of the region.
Through a message on her X account, the Madrid president also said that at this moment attention is focused on the fire’s resurgence in Villa del Prado and stressed that there are “no words to thank the work that firefighters are carrying out.”
The Vall d’Uixó (Castellón) fire has already burned 7,000 hectares
The fire declared on Saturday in Vall d’Uixó (Castellón) has already burned “a little more” than 7,000 hectares, as explained this Monday by the Valencian Generalitat’s Minister of Emergencies, Juan Carlos Valderrama, based on data from drone flights during the night.
Valderrama told À Punt that there has been a resurgence in the Eslida area, where aerial resources are focused this morning because there is a “significant risk of propagation,” and in the Monserrat urbanization of Betxí and in Montí, where ground resources are working. The minister assured that “the foreseeable propagation” that a fire of these characteristics could have has been contained, according to Efe.
Valderrama said that the number of evacuated people who have been rehoused in the spaces enabled for that purpose has been reduced from 700 to 500, as 200 have gone with family members. The minister advanced that the meteorological conditions expected today are very similar to yesterday’s, with southeast winds and gusts that can reach 30 kilometers per hour, to give way at night to a new humidity of 70%, which will favor extinction efforts.
Night of intense work for UME agents
UME agents have been working tirelessly for another night to combat the large fires devastating the center of the peninsula. On their X account, they published a video of the work in Sotillo de la Adrada.
The detainee for the Ávila fire had been using prohibited machinery for several days
The man who caused the fire that has already devastated thousands of hectares in Ávila and forced the evacuation of thousands of people had been using heavy machinery for several days, which was prohibited from use, to open paths in the area of the environmental tragedy.
This was stated by two witnesses in their declaration to the Civil Guard, according to investigation sources. EL MUNDO has accessed the testimonies that make up the proceedings and also the statement of the investigated person, who is attributed with an alleged crime of forest fire and another against natural resources and the environment.
Read the full report by Gema Peñalosa
Forest fire risk map
Civil protection recommends extreme caution and avoiding any behavior that could cause a fire.
Aagesen warns of “very high” fire risk ahead of a possible new heatwave
The third vice-president of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, has called for “great caution” given the “very high” risk of forest fires expected from this Tuesday, when the fourth heatwave of the summer could begin in Spain, after a “very complex” night in the fight against the fire.
In statements to RNE, reported by EFE, Aagesen warned this Monday that Aemet data indicates that “surely tomorrow we will begin a new heatwave in Spain, the fourth so far this year.”
“The risk of fires from tomorrow onwards is very high throughout the territory. Therefore, I ask for caution in this context,” the minister stressed, while the fight against the fires that are especially punishing Ávila, western Madrid, and Castellón continues, with tens of thousands of hectares devastated and nearly 90,000 people evacuated or confined.
Aagesen explained that this Sunday the fires showed a “positive evolution,” although she insisted that Spain remains in a “very, very, very complex” situation, with eight active fires in a special situation and particular concern for those in Madrid, Toledo, and Ávila.
Forest fire in Selas (Guadalajara) extinguished
The Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service of Castilla-La Mancha (Infocam) has declared the forest fire that originated last Tuesday in the municipality of Selas (Guadalajara) and affected some 2,800 hectares as extinguished.
Through its social networks, Infocam reported that this fire was extinguished this Sunday, having been controlled since the night of Thursday, July 23. This fire started as a ditch fire at kilometer 40 of the N-211, between Selas and Aragoncillo, although the flames quickly spread to forest land.
Due to this fire, the towns of Aragoncillo, Establés, Concha, Torrubia, Tartanedo, and Pardos had to be evacuated, and the Military Emergency Unit (UME) was activated. Reports Efe.
“The fire remains active and unstabilized” in the Community of Madrid
Sources from the Government Delegation in Madrid have reported that “the fire in the community has slowed its advance, but remains active and unstabilized.” Extinction teams have worked through the night, and three fronts have been identified, “the most active being North of the San Juan Reservoir.”
Citizens are asked to continue exercising extreme caution and to stay informed about the evolution of the situation through official sources. Reports Vicente Coll.
30 aerial resources will work on the Castellón fire
A total of 30 aerial resources will participate throughout this Monday in the fire extinction efforts. According to the Generalitat’s Emergency Coordination Center, during this Monday, 17 aerial resources from the Generalitat, 10 from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, 1 from Aragon, 1 from Catalonia, and 1 from the Balearic Islands will be incorporated, totaling 30 aerial resources, which is 5 more than those that acted this Sunday in the fire.
The pre-emergency level for forest fire risk for this Monday is extreme throughout the Valencian Community, which means limiting activities that can be carried out in the mountains.
Until midnight, the evacuations of the 16,000 people from 18 towns and urbanizations and the confinement of nearly 64,000 people from the municipalities of Vall d’Uixó, Onda, and Betxí were maintained, in order to guarantee people’s safety and keep roads clear for emergency services. Reports Efe.
43 secondary roads remain closed due to fires
The DGT reports that 43 secondary roads remain closed due to fires. “We ask you to avoid traveling on roads in the western sierra of Madrid, in the fire zones of Ávila, Toledo, and Castellón, and to stay informed through official channels.”
Sánchez visits the area affected by the Castellón fire today
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will travel this morning to the area affected by the forest fires in Castellón. The head of the Executive will be accompanied by the President of the Valencian Generalitat, Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca; the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant; and the Government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé. Sánchez will go at 12:15 PM to the Advanced Command Post located in La Vall d’Uixó, where he will meet with the teams deployed for the fire extinction.
More than 16,000 evacuated in Castellón
In the province of Castellón, the 16,000 evacuated people are still unable to return to their homes while the confinement of the municipalities of Vall d’Uixó, Betxí, and Onda is maintained, in order to guarantee people’s safety and keep roads clear for emergency services to work.
The flames have devoured 6,500 hectares within a 48-kilometer perimeter, according to the latest official count this Sunday night, and a deployment similar to that of the previous day is planned for this Monday, with 25 aerial resources from dawn and more than 450 professionals.
According to Minister Antonio Rodrigo, the fire is no longer beyond extinction capacity, as he believes the fact that the number of burned hectares and the perimeter have not grown too much demonstrates, and he has shown optimism about the possibility that the fire could be stabilized “as soon as possible,” reports Efe.
“Night of intense work to advance towards fire stabilization”
Emergency services in the Community of Madrid anticipate that “wind gusts of up to 30 km/h will complicate extinction efforts this Monday.”
The latest fire figures
Although the third vice-president and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, had indicated on Sunday afternoon that the Ávila fire had burned 50,000 hectares and the Madrid fire had consumed about 25,000, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande Marlaska, updated the figure at night after presiding over the meeting of the State Committee for Coordination and Management of the State Emergency Plan in Navalcarnero (Madrid): 47,000 hectares in the first case and 27,000 in the second.
After a day marked by flames, fires in Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo have already burned 77,000 hectares, with a total perimeter of 280 kilometers; there are also about 90,000 evacuated or displaced people.
The minister pointed out that there are still active flames and something very important that the operation evaluates and determines: “The risk of flare-ups at any moment, as is happening,” according to Efe.
The Government delegate in Madrid: “The fire is not yet controlled”
The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, reported late Sunday that the forest fire affecting the region “is not yet controlled” and has asked citizens for caution.
“The fire is intense and has a reaction, given the magnitude of the entire fire, which leads us to have to be prepared for unforeseen developments,” he indicated in statements to TVE, reported by Europa Press, from the Navalcarnero command post.
Martín explained that “very intense work” has been carried out throughout the day. “An extraordinary effort, but in complex situations, which have even led us to dangerous situations,” he noted. Regarding the eastern flank of the fire, although there have been some reactivations, the delegate pointed out that these have been suppressed and the fire “remains contained.”
In the west, on the other hand, “the fire continues to fight,” he continued. In that area, they are carrying out a “very active” defense given the proximity of the new fire started in Almorox (Toledo) and heading towards Villa del Prado and the Madrid urbanization of El Encinar de Alberche, which had to be evacuated on Sunday afternoon.
Read more The exodus from uncontrolled fires: “We had never faced so many evacuations”
