The fires ravaging the Community of Madrid and Ávila are advancing, and this Friday one of the scenarios foreseen by technicians has come true: the union of the three fires affecting the Community of Madrid, which now form “a single fire.” This fire has a head advancing towards Navas del Rey, Chapinería, and Colmenar del Arroyo, which is why the evacuation of these municipalities has been ordered.
The next scenario that worries emergency services is the possible entry of the Burgohondo (Ávila) fire into the Community of Madrid, which would increase the destructive capacity and virulence of the fire. The Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Interior of the Community of Madrid, Carlos Novillo, has assured that the priority of the operation, directed by the Military Emergency Unit (UME), is “to save lives” and has stressed that the Community of Madrid maintains “the largest deployment in its history,” although it must also reserve resources to respond to the possibility of new fires on a day of extreme risk.
“This fire is currently beyond extinction capacity. We can try to limit the flanks, but we will not be able to stop that head until conditions change,” said Novillo, who expressed confidence that the drop in temperatures, the increase in humidity, and the change in wind expected for the night and, especially, for this Saturday, will allow for an improvement in the fire’s evolution.
These are the messages evacuated residents received on their mobile phones.
The National Emergency Monitoring and Coordination Center (CENEM) of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and Emergencies, under the Ministry of Interior, sent two Es-Alert messages this Friday for the evacuation or confinement of various towns in the southwest of the Community of Madrid affected by the fires.
This is the first time that the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and Emergencies has sent an Es-Alert message to mobile phones, as the appropriate circumstances arose in an operational situation of level 3, as reported by the Ministry of Interior.
The first message includes the following text: “This is a real emergency: Due to the evolution of the two fires in the Community of Madrid. All residents of Chapinería, Navas del Rey, and Colmenar del Arroyo evacuate these municipalities. Possible reception points: Navalcarnero, Móstoles, Alcorcón, Leganés, Brunete, Villanueva de la Cañada, Villaviciosa de Odón, and Las Rozas.”
The second Es-Alert message also begins with the heading “this is a real emergency.” And the text continues: “Due to the evolution of the forest fire, if you are in the municipality of Pelayos de la Presa or San Martín de Valdeiglesias, you are ordered to go to the corresponding urban center. Follow all updated information in official media and social networks. National Alert Network-Civil Protection and Emergencies-Ministry of Interior.”
Es-Alert is the official mobile emergency alert system in Spain managed by Civil Protection. Messages are sent to mobile phones in areas of serious danger at the request of the emergency management, in this case at the request of the Ministry of Interior due to the level 3 situation.
Brussels mobilizes four planes from Greece and Italy to help with fires in Spain
The European Commission announced this Friday that it has mobilized four Canadair planes, two from Greece and two from Italy, to help combat the fires in Spain.
“We have mobilized four planes and Copernicus satellite images are supporting the response on the ground. These planes were positioned in Greece and Italy and have now been deployed to Spain to help,” said the EU spokeswoman for Civil Protection, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, at the European Commission’s daily press conference.
The Spanish government activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism on Thursday night to request more resources against the fire from its EU partners, following four active fires in the center of the country that are particularly concerning.
Itkonen recalled that the mechanism requires member states to formally request assistance for Brussels to mobilize available common resources. In this regard, she noted that the ‘rescEU’ strategic reserve currently has a fleet of 22 planes and five helicopters dedicated to responding to emergencies across the Union.
Madrid City Council mobilizes nearly 100 personnel for the region’s fires
The Madrid City Council has mobilized nearly one hundred personnel from the municipal Security and Emergency services (Firefighters, SAMUR-PC, and Municipal Police) to support in the fires affecting the Community of Madrid.
Among the deployed units are ten vehicles and thirty firefighters, twelve units and more than fifty SAMUR-Civil Protection personnel, and two Advanced Medical Posts (PSA), in addition to four patrols and one command with nine Municipal Police agents, according to the City Council.
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, assured this Friday at the reopening of the Velázquez Jorge Juan car park that “the City Council immediately placed itself at the disposal of the Community of Madrid and now the Government of Spain to provide whatever means are necessary.”
Almeida noted that the City Council has also reinforced satellite telecommunications due to problems reported in mobile telephony and stated: “we place ourselves at the disposal of the Government of Spain now that it has taken command of the emergency to continue providing necessary means within the City Council’s reach.”
Fires in the Community of Madrid merge into a single front, forcing the evacuation of three more municipalities
The worst predictions have come true, and the three fires affecting the Community of Madrid have merged, forming a single one, according to sources from the Community of Madrid. This increases the risk and hinders extinction capacity, even forcing the evacuation of more towns near the disaster.
The 112 Emergency service of the Community of Madrid has indicated the evacuation of the municipalities of Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo, and Navas del Rey.
This was reported by the Chapinería City Council on its social networks, where it specified that residents of the town must evacuate to Villaviciosa de Odón. Buses will depart from the Town Hall square for residents and from the auditorium for those from other localities.
Private vehicle displacements must head to Villaviciosa de Odón “following the instructions of emergency services and authorities.” The City Council has called for calm and extreme caution.
For its part, the Colmenar del Arroyo City Council has informed that residents must go to Madrid “by their own means” and, if they do not have transport, buses will be provided for evacuation. In Navas del Rey, residents have also been urged to evacuate the town towards Madrid.
Marlaska: the fundamental objective is to prevent the three fires from converging on a critical day
The fires in Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias (Madrid) have already burned 3,000 hectares
The three active forest fires in the Community of Madrid, two of them in Villa del Prado and a third in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, have already affected 3,000 hectares of surface area, as reported by the Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who is leading the emergency operation.
The fires are still not contained and are advancing through the southwest of the Community of Madrid, fueled by the wind, which is feared to gain even more prominence throughout the day, as detailed by the minister himself in statements to the press from the Advanced Command Post in Cenicientos.
Extinction efforts are mainly focused on ensuring the safety of urban areas in the zone, although work is also being done to prevent the three fires from joining, forming a hypothetical common front that would increase the risk due to the virulence and aggressiveness of the flames.
In this regard, the head of the operational direction of the emergency, Lieutenant General of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) Francisco Javier Marcos, stressed that, in case of confluence of the fires, plans are in place “to vary the volume of forces and aerial means.”
Regarding the origin of the fires, Minister Marlaska recalled that the one in San Martín de Valdeiglesias was caused by a car on fire on the M-501 road at the entrance to the town, while the causes of the others are unknown. However, he insisted that the SEPRONA of the Civil Guard is investigating the possible origin of the fires.
The Community of Madrid coordinates the transfer of more than 430 elderly and disabled people from five residences due to the fires
The Community of Madrid is coordinating the transfer of more than 430 elderly and disabled people residing in five social and health centers affected by the forest fires declared in the western part of the region, while maintaining permanent monitoring of all care resources located in the affected areas.
As reported this Friday by the regional government in a statement, the families of the users are being informed of all actions carried out, while care is being reorganized according to the evolution of the Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias fires, which have forced the declaration of a national emergency.
The largest operation took place in Aldea del Fresno, where the 71 residents of the San Juan Bautista elderly residence were initially evacuated to Villamanta. Subsequently, five people with greater dependency were transferred to the Casaverde residence in that town, another 16 moved with their families, and the remaining 50 were relocated to the Parque de los Frailes residence in Leganés, along with eight center workers. Also in Aldea del Fresno, the private residence La Fresneda, with 80 users, was evacuated. Seven residents left the center with their relatives, another seven were transferred to Leganés, and 64 to the Plata y Castañar residence in Madrid capital, while two were previously hospitalized.
Concern in Ávila about the possibility of the fire reaching the Tiétar Valley
The operation working in the area of the fire declared in the Ávila municipality of Burgohondo, which later spread to Navaluenga, El Tiemblo, and El Barraco, is focusing its efforts on preventing the flames from crossing to the other slope and advancing towards the Tiétar Valley, south of the province.
According to sources from the Junta de Castilla y León, night work, once aerial means were withdrawn late on Thursday, proceeded “as planned,” managing to establish the fire’s perimeter and even “secure it in one part.” These tasks focused on “the defense of municipalities with heavy machinery” and the execution of “manual work to create defense lines.”
However, the regional administration states that “the concern” is currently focused on the southern face of the mountain range, given the possibility that the flames could advance towards the Tiétar Valley, after cresting the summit pushed by the wind from the northern area, in the Alberche Valley, where the fire originated.
“The fire is slowly descending,” explained the Junta de Castilla y León, referring to a fire whose efforts during the first hours of the day are concentrated on “preventing its advance” towards the Tiétar, through municipalities such as Piedralaves, located on the southern slope of the mountain range.
Almeida sees it as “logical” for the Government to assume sole command and states that the priority is to fight fires: “Talking about the Government delegate is a waste of time”
The mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, considered it “logical” and “reasonable” this Friday that the Government has assumed sole command of the emergency due to the fires affecting several autonomous communities, such as Madrid, emphasizing that the priority is “to fight against the situation” and that “it does not help” to focus on the Government delegate, Francisco Martín, for his words regarding the activation of Emergency Level 3, reports Jaime Rodríguez Carrasco.
He stated this during a visit to the Velázquez-Jorge Juan car park, where he reiterated the Madrid City Council’s willingness to continue providing all necessary human and material resources for extinction efforts and support for evacuees.
As he detailed, there are practically 100 Madrid City Council personnel working with various vehicles, basically Municipal Police, Firefighters, and SAMUR Civil Protection, “each in the exercise of their competencies providing logistical support to all those people who have had to be displaced from their places of residence.”
Navas del Rey, Chapinería, and Colmenar del Arroyo, in Madrid, new municipalities evacuated
The Government delegate in the CAM, Francisco Martín, announced at the Advanced Command Post in Cenicientos de Madrid that given the advance of the region’s fires, the municipalities of Navas del Rey, Chapinería, and Colmenar del Arroyo will be evacuated. The population will receive an Es-Alert message in the coming minutes ordering immediate evacuation.
Martín assured that the greatest concern currently is that both fires converge, which is very likely to happen “due to meteorological conditions,” and recommended that the population move to the area around the A-5. The Government delegate does not rule out that “new evacuations may occur” in the coming hours.
Likewise, there is a possibility that the Ávila fire may penetrate the Community of Madrid and “end up merging” with the other two already active: “that would be the worst possible scenario.”
Chapinería has 2,705 registered residents, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for 2025; Navas del Rey, 3,424; and Colmenar del Arroyo, 2,044.
Puente criticizes the PP for demanding UME aid for fires while cutting taxes
The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, lashed out this Friday at the autonomous communities governed by the PP for demanding aid from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) to extinguish forest fires while cutting taxes for the rich. “Then they ask the Government to solve their problem,” he remarked.
The UME is deployed in the forest fires registered in municipalities of the Community of Madrid and Castilla y León, regions governed by the ‘popular’ Alfonso Fernández Mañueco and Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
“We all understand that the UME is now the new fire extinction service for the PP’s autonomous communities,” the minister indicated on his X social media account, echoing a complaint expressed by the Forest Firefighters of the Community of Madrid, who lamented that they had not been activated to fight the flames in Almorox.
Puente criticized that the PP “reduces taxes for the rich, shrinks public services, and then asks the Government to solve their problem.”
Marlaska: “Today is a critical day. The main thing is to avoid the confluence of the fronts”
The Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, appeared at the Advanced Command Post in Cenicientos, Madrid, to report on the fire situation after the meeting of the State Coordination and Management Committee of the State Emergency Plan, which he attended telematically. The Minister of Interior stressed that the current priority is to “avoid the confluence of the fronts.” He also reported that for the fires in Madrid and Ávila, level 3 has been adopted due to urban groups, meteorological forecasts, and the need to have state resources available to effectively tackle these three fires. He added: “We cannot forget that there are nine other level 2 fires across Spain that also use state resources.”
Up to the time of his appearance, the fires had already burned 9,000 hectares in Ávila and another 3,000 in the Community of Madrid.
He also recalled that the Government of Spain has requested EU assistance with at least four aircraft “and Greece has responded,” and he enumerated the resources deployed to fight the fire: “We have more than 1,100 UME personnel dedicated solely to these three fires.” In addition, there are numerous personnel for level 2 fires and another thousand personnel “including Civil Guard, Civil Protection…”.
Regarding the forecasts for today, Marlaska assures that it will be “very difficult” due to an adverse situation “due to wind gusts exceeding 50km/h and the temperature and humidity will not provide any relief either.”
Regarding the evacuees, he could not say anything about when they will be able to return home: “They are our primary objective, and their safety and stability are the pillar of our actions. We do not yet know when they will be able to return. As soon as possible.”
Forest fires have already burned more than 114,700 hectares in 2026, compared to 24,133 last year
Forest fires have so far burned a total of 114,796.42 forest hectares since the beginning of the year, compared to 24,133.26 in the same period of 2025, according to data provided by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge.
As of this Friday, July 24, 29 large forest fires have been registered so far this year, twenty more than the average for the last decade in the same period.
The data released by the Ministry headed by Sara Aagesen are provisional and correspond to the period between January 1 and July 24, 2026.
The mayor of El Tiemblo after the fire: “It’s terrifying to see that hell exists”
The mayor of the Ávila town of El Tiemblo (4,500 inhabitants), Arturo Varas, assures that his residents are completely devastated by the forest fire ravaging their town and states: “it’s terrifying to see that hell exists.”
The mayor of this town, which almost doubles its population during the summer, describes how the flames of this fire, which originated at 1:02 p.m. last Wednesday about 20 kilometers away in the municipality of Burgohondo (1,300 inhabitants), reached a height of between 12 and 14 meters, advancing at an “incredible” speed.
This situation, caused by strong wind gusts and high temperatures, meant that the urban area of El Tiemblo was crossed by fire “extremely quickly,” leaving behind images of desolation, with devastated parks, charred green areas, scorched trees, and some affected houses.
Despite the incredible nature of the account, no personal tragedies occurred, although the 110 elderly people in the public residence of ‘San Antonio’ (48) and the private ‘Las Palmeras’ (62) had to be evacuated.
To describe the passage of the flames through the urban area of El Tiemblo, Arturo Varas uses an image that well describes the “hell” that the residents of El Tiemblo have gone through: “It’s like cotton when you pour alcohol on it and it burns, barely affecting the inside.”
This is how the UME’s first actions are: ready in less than an hour
When a meteorological catastrophe escalates to level 3, it is the Military Emergency Unit that takes the lead. For the first time, the fire ravaging the Community of Madrid and Castilla y León has forced the level to be raised and the UME to take command. From the last week of May until November 1, the UME is on fire campaign. Therefore, in the barracks, operational units and capabilities are configured for this.
Once they receive the call, a command vehicle with a lieutenant on board must leave the barracks in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, a tanker truck, three fire engines, and a park truck get underway. In less than an hour, these first responders are ready and set out to combat the flames. Afterwards, more personnel and resources are progressively incorporated as needed on the ground and coordinated with other groups of local firefighters and forest rangers to assess meteorological conditions and how to combat the flames.
The UME has two types of fire engines: older Iveco models with the same configuration as a traditional fire truck; and a modern multipurpose truck, called a multipurpose vehicle, which can be used for both extinguishing fires and clearing roads, by installing a salt spreader and a snowplow. The interior of the vehicle has an independent oxygen system, and of its 3,500-liter water capacity, 500 liters are for self-protection, through a system of tubes that, when activated, sprays the exterior of the truck with water, isolating it from the flames.
The work on the ground is coordinated, in turn, with the work of aerial extinction means, Canadair aircraft models that depend on the 43rd group of the Air and Space Army. These tanker planes load six thousand liters of water in 12 seconds and discharge it over the flames with the aim of opening a window of opportunity for ground means. A coordination of civilian and military means essential to fight fires. Reports Marina Pina.
Castilla y León did not ask the Government for a national emergency in Ávila, unlike Madrid
Castilla y León did not request from the Government, as the Community of Madrid did for its territory, the declaration of operational situation 3 of national interest due to the severity and virulence of the fire declared in Burgohondo (Ávila), which has so far forced the evacuation of more than a thousand people.
Following the request from the Community of Madrid, due to the simultaneity of several fires, some bordering other autonomous communities, the Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, decided on his own initiative yesterday morning to include the province of Ávila, as EFE sources from the Ministry have reported.
For its part, as confirmed to EFE by sources from the regional government, Castilla y León will declare operational situation 3 only in the province of Ávila this Friday, thus ceding command to the Ministry, and will maintain situation 2 for the other eight provinces, which they consider to be in accordance with the regulations.
The Ávila fire, which was declared this Wednesday, stands out for its special virulence, as on Thursday afternoon it advanced at a speed of 30 kilometers in 40 minutes, and the flames entered the Valle de Iruelas Natural Reserve, home to one of the main colonies of black vultures, which has been devastated.
Extremadura sends air and ground resources to extinguish fires in Madrid and Ávila
The Extremadura Forest Fire Fighting Plan (Infoex) will collaborate in extinguishing the fires in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila with two terrestrial forest firefighter units, two amphibious planes, and a heavy machinery team consisting of a lowboy truck, a bulldozer, and an auxiliary support vehicle.
These resources are joined by a Natural Environment agent and a zone coordinator, the Junta de Extremadura reported in a statement.
The Infoex Plan resources will work where determined by the MOPI (Integrated Operational Command, the body established to coordinate the emergency).
Spain asks the European Union for help to extinguish the fires and requests at least four aerial means
At the request of the UME, Spain has activated the European response mechanism, requesting at least 4 fixed-wing aerial extinction means. Greece has accepted the request, offering two Canadair CL-415 aircraft. A preparatory meeting for the deployment will be held this morning. Reports Raúl Piña.
Extreme or very high risk of fires in most of Spain for this Friday
Aemet has warned of the danger of fires in our country for this Friday, which will be very high or extreme in most of the country despite the drop in temperatures. “Conditions will improve somewhat over the weekend, but the danger will increase again in subsequent days,” they warn.
The forest fire in Fuente Álamo (Murcia) stabilized after affecting some 228 hectares
The forest fire declared this Thursday in the Sierra del Algarrobo, in the district of La Pinilla, in the municipality of Fuente Álamo, was stabilized at 6:30 a.m. this Friday after affecting an approximate area of 228 hectares, as reported by the ‘1-1-2’ Emergency Coordination Center of the Region of Murcia.
Environmental agents, six terrestrial forest brigades, technical and coordination personnel from the Forest Fire Defense Unit, personnel from the Fire and Rescue Consortium of the Region of Murcia, as well as Civil Guard and Local Police patrols continue to work on extinction and surveillance.
In total, some 60 people remain deployed on the ground to consolidate the stabilization of the fire and prevent possible re-ignitions.
The fire was declared around 5:11 p.m. on Thursday, on a day marked by high temperatures and wind, and affected an area near the Country Club and Camposol urbanizations, in the municipality of Mazarrón, as well as the area through which the Vía Verde runs.
Pedro Sánchez warns of the “dramatic situation” due to the fires: “Much caution. Let’s avoid risks”
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has warned of the “dramatic situation” being experienced as a result of the fires “not only in different Spanish provinces, but also in regions of neighboring countries.”
In a message on X, the head of the Executive asked for “caution.” “Let’s follow the instructions and avoid risks,” Sánchez requested, assuring that the Government has deployed all resources. “It will be by your side in the emergency and in the recovery,” he continued in his message, in which he thanked the BRIF, UME, State Security Forces and Corps, and Civil Protection for their work. “To all emergency services that fight day and night to stop the advance of the flames and extinguish the fire,” he added.
Given the fires that “are ravaging thousands of hectares and affecting various populations,” Pedro Sánchez also conveyed his solidarity to “all the people who are seeing how the fire burns their mountains and threatens their homes.”
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The forest fire in La Cerollera (Teruel) remains active and affects some 80 hectares
The forest fire declared in the municipality of La Cerollera (Teruel) remains active this Friday and affects some 80 hectares after a night of work focused on containing the flanks towards the head.
The fire was declared yesterday and forced the closure of the TE-53 road between kilometers 0 and 4, from La Cañada de Verich, and the deployment of a large ground and air operation to stop its advance.
According to the forest fire prevention and extinction device of the Government of Aragon (Infoar), the fire remains active and during the night, 9 ground brigades from the Government of Aragon with 6 fire engines and a bulldozer, a forest fire reinforcement brigade (Brif), the extinction director, with technical support group personnel and command post personnel, and firefighters from the Provincial Council of Teruel with a tanker vehicle have been working.
During the morning, the relief of ground brigades is planned, as well as the deployment of two helicopters from the Government of Aragon, and a CECOP meeting to evaluate the evolution of this fire, for which operational situation 1 Level 1 of the Special Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fire Emergencies (Procinfo) remains activated. EFE
A tongue of fire devours the mountains in Burgohondo, Ávila
The forest fire declared on Wednesday in Burgohondo (Ávila) continues to be one of the most worrying in the country. The “virulent” advance of the fire has forced the evacuation of 1,500 people from a rural tourism center and an urbanization in the municipality of El Tiemblo, as a preventive measure to guarantee the safety of residents.
According to authorities, the flames advanced at a speed of three kilometers in just 40 minutes, which complicated extinction efforts and accelerated the implementation of the evacuation plan. The priority of emergency services has been to protect the population from the rapid spread of the fire.
Castilla y León wakes up with 9 active fires and more than 1,500 evacuated between Ávila and León
Castilla y León wakes up with 9 active fires, four of them serious, among which the one in Burgohondo (Ávila) is particularly concerning, with three towns confined and more than 1,500 people evacuated between this municipality, an urbanization in El Tiemblo, and a rural tourism center, which has led to the declaration of a national emergency by the central government, along with Madrid.
The Ávila fire, which was declared this Wednesday, stands out for its special virulence, as on Thursday afternoon it advanced at a speed of 30 kilometers in 40 minutes, and the flames entered the Valle de Iruelas Natural Reserve, home to one of the main colonies of black vultures, which has been devastated.
The smoke forced the confinement of the municipalities of Burgohondo, Navaluenga, and El Tiemblo, but also the evacuation of the La Atalaya urbanization in the latter town and a rural tourism center in Valle de Iruelas, along with two rural houses and a campsite, and at night a nursing home was evacuated.
In total, more than 1,500 people have been evacuated, in addition to the hundred residents who already left their homes in a neighborhood of Burgohondo on Wednesday, due to a fire that is at Potential Severity Index (IGP) 2, and in which more than fifty resources are working, with UME support.
Three large fires remain active in France, which requests EU aerial support
France maintains three large active forest fires this Friday, two in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region (in Arcachon Bay and Les Landes) and a third in the Mediterranean department of Var (between Marseille and Nice), while authorities have requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to reinforce the extinction effort with aerial means.
President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday night that France will receive two Canadair amphibious aircraft from Croatia, two Air Tractor aircraft from Portugal, and two Black Hawk heavy helicopters provided by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
“The situation remains under enormous tension due to the fires ravaging the country, particularly in Gironde,” Macron declared on his social networks, highlighting that “this concrete, rapid, and operational solidarity” from European partners “is a precious force” in a difficult time.
In the Gironde department, some 800 firefighters are battling a fire, probably of accidental origin, which has already burned some 8,700 hectares north of the Arcachon basin.
Residents of San Pedro Castañero and Turienzo (León) rehoused after improvement of Castropodame fire
The favorable evolution of the fire in Castropodame (León) allowed residents who had been evacuated from the towns of San Pedro Castañero and Turienzo Castañero to be rehoused late yesterday.
The Junta lowered its situation to Potential Severity Index (IGR) 1 and the Military Emergency Unit (UME) was demobilized from the area.
The work carried out yesterday by ground and air resources was “very effective” and intense, with 125 people and some 35 air and ground resources participating in the extinction efforts, according to sources from the territorial delegation of the Junta in León.
Currently, three environmental agents, one ground crew, and three bulldozers, among other resources, are working on the fire, according to data from the Junta’s Inforcyl platform collected by Europa Press.
Hundreds of people escape by boat from a fire in southwestern France
Hundreds of people fled by boat this Friday from the tourist peninsula of Cap-Ferret in western France, after authorities ordered its evacuation due to the rapid advance of a forest fire.
Boats have already transported more than 400 people from that cape to the pier of the neighboring town of Arcachon, which houses expensive properties and stretches along France’s Atlantic coast west of the city of Bordeaux, municipal authorities told AFP.
The municipality launched maritime transport services in four ports and called on all residents to evacuate the area.
Cap-Ferret is threatened by a fire of probably accidental origin that has been devouring a forest north of Arcachon Bay, in the Gironde department, since Wednesday, and has already ravaged 8,700 hectares.
An AFP photographer saw several hundred people disembark with their luggage, mostly aboard the ferries that usually connect Cap-Ferret with Arcachon.
The evacuated people were accommodated in the Arcachon convention center, the municipality added.
To facilitate their departure, the Atlantic maritime prefecture lifted the temporary navigation ban in a wide area west of the basin on Friday morning.
Motorboat traffic was also restricted.
Fire in Selas (Guadalajara) controlled and fires in Mazarambroz and La Pueblanueva, in Toledo, extinguished
Last night brought a respite to the forest fire situation throughout Castilla-La Mancha, as between late Thursday and early Friday, the fire in Selas (Guadalajara) was brought under control, and those in Mazarambroz and La Pueblanueva, both in the province of Toledo, were extinguished.
The largest fire, in Selas, which is estimated to have consumed some 2,800 hectares of forest-wooded area and forced the evacuation of six municipalities, was brought under control at 10:32 p.m. on Thursday.
In any case, four aerial means with four people, four terrestrial extinction means with 16 people, and nine more internal personnel continue to work at the site.
In the case of Mazarambroz, which originated last Wednesday, it was extinguished at 0:30 a.m. this Friday, after having been brought under control at 7:43 p.m. on Thursday.
Finally, the fire in La Pueblanueva, which started at 3:51 a.m. this Thursday and was brought under control at 3:34 p.m. on the same day, was finally extinguished at 11:31 p.m. on Thursday.
Two of Madrid’s fires remain out of control, although their advance has been limited
The fires in Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias, in the Community of Madrid, remain out of control, although their advance has been limited in recent hours, according to sources from the central government delegation in the community.
Although the evolution of the fires during the night has not been unfavorable, the municipalities of Pelayos de la Presa, Navas del Rey, Villa del Prado, and San Martín de Valdeiglesias remain confined, and the urban area of Aldea del Fresno and some urbanizations in the region have been evacuated.
The three active fires in the Community of Madrid, those in Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias, and the one started in Almorox (Toledo) have caused the closure of the M507 road, between kilometers 28 and 36. In addition, traffic has been restricted on the M501, between kilometers 42 and 59.
At least 24 secondary roads cut in Spain due to fires
The Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) has reported that, as of this hour, 24 secondary roads are cut and “impassable” in Spain due to fires, six of them in the Community of Madrid and fifteen in the province of Guadalajara.
Specifically, as explained by the DGT in its bulletin, the secondary roads that are closed to traffic in the Community of Madrid are the M-206, in the vicinity of Loeches; the M-501 and M-541, in Pelayos de la Presa; the M-507 and M-540, in Villa del Prado; and the N-403, as it passes through the municipality of San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
In the province of Guadalajara, the fifteen closed roads are located in the Sierra Norte of the province; and vehicle access has also been restricted on the TE-54, in La Cañada de Verich (Teruel); and on the A-475, as it passes through the municipality of Villanueva de las Cruces (Huelva).
The DGT has asked to avoid driving through affected areas and for citizens to check the status of roads before starting their journey.
Mobile units deployed to ensure coverage in Villa del Prado and Cenicientos due to fires
The Community of Madrid is in permanent contact with telecommunications operators present in the areas affected by the fires in the Community of Madrid, which have deployed mobile units to ensure coverage in Villa del Prado and Cenicientos.
These companies are coordinated with the command center. The fires in Almorox and San Martín de Valdeiglesias have generated a double transport cut in the network, affecting 40 towns in the region, the regional government indicated in a statement.
Telecommunications companies are working to restore service with the support of mobile units and have deployed backup devices to ensure coverage in Villa del Prado and Cenicientos.
At this moment, they cannot carry out direct work on some of the cuts due to conditions in the area. However, they are moving technical teams to one of the cut areas where they can access.
Several people evacuated from the municipality of Aldea del Fresno arrive at the Villamanta sports center
The forest fire declared this Thursday in the Madrid municipality of Villa del Prado, has forced the activation of the ES-Alert system to ask the population near the affected area to remain confined to their homes until further notice. The Casa Hogar Aman Picadas Residential Center in Aldea del Fresno has been evacuated due to its proximity to the forest fire in Villa del Prado. The 78 residents will be transferred to the municipal sports center. Likewise, 112 has requested the evacuation to the Madrid municipality of Villamanta, including the AMAM Picadas and San Juan Bautista residences.
Madrid’s interurban buses collaborate in the evacuation of residents affected by the three fires
The Community of Madrid has activated interurban buses from the Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM) to collaborate with emergency services in the evacuation and transfer of residents from municipalities affected by the forest fires that remain active in the region.
The Ministry of Housing, Transport, and Infrastructure keeps these vehicles available to the emergency operation so that they can intervene immediately and transfer evacuated people to the points determined by the device managers. This will be done based on the evolution of the fires and the needs that may arise, the regional government reported.
Currently, four interurban buses remain mobilized, ready to intervene immediately if it is necessary to reinforce evacuations or attend to new transport needs.
In Navas del Rey, the Community of Madrid maintains three other buses mobilized and available to emergency services for possible transfers. In addition, during tomorrow, line 551 will temporarily limit its route and establish its terminus in Navas del Rey.
In Pelayos de la Presa, two interurban buses are already operational and are transferring evacuated residents to Chapinería, in accordance with the instructions of the emergency operation managers.
In Cenicientos, Villa del Prado, and other affected municipalities, and as a consequence of the situation caused by the fires and for safety reasons, this Friday the service of interurban lines 541, 545, 546, 547, and 548 will be temporarily suspended. These modifications will remain subject to the evolution of the fires and the indications of the emergency services.
The Community of Madrid maintains monitoring and will continue to adapt the public transport system to the needs of the operation, in coordination with emergency services.
With the residents evacuated by the Burgohondo fire: “A lady kept repeating that everything was going to burn”
Residents experienced a night of evacuations, confinements, and smoke while extinction teams tried to contain a fire still out of control.
Read the full report by Mario Sáez.
The Community of Madrid reinforces its health network for the three active fires in the region with 600 available beds
The Community of Madrid has activated coordination with all hospitals and health centers of the Madrid Health Service (Sermas) to guarantee response capacity in the emergency caused by the three simultaneous fires registered in the region.
Thus, it has at least 600 fully available hospital beds for possible evacuation or referral needs. In addition, the Enfermera Isabel Zendal Hospital remains a reference center for contingency management and expansion of care capacity, the regional government reported.
At La Poveda Hospital, located in the municipality of Villa del Prado, there are currently 119 admitted patients, all stable. They are attended by 91 professionals, including a psychologist to provide emotional support.
Four patients, from evacuations, have been treated at this hospital for minor care needs, while three have required hospital admission to La Poveda. Health and psychological devices are deployed and operational in the reception centers set up for those citizens who have been evacuated.
As detailed, both Primary Care and Summa 112 maintain full healthcare coverage for the population affected by the fires.
Wind will complicate extinction efforts
As reported at 7:00 a.m. by the 112 Community of Madrid Emergency service, weather conditions, mainly wind, will complicate extinction efforts this Friday.
Last night, more than 270 professionals were working in the area, with 40 ground resources: 21 vehicles with 90 personnel in Villa del Prado and a UME section with another 40; 17 vehicles with 65 personnel in San Martín de Valdeiglesias and 2 sections of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) with 40 personnel each in San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
Sánchez presides today over the coordination committee of the state emergency plan after the complication of the fires
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will preside this Friday, around 9:30 a.m., over the meeting of the State Coordination and Management Committee of the State Emergency Plan (CECOD), which will be held at the Moncloa Complex, following the complication of the fires affecting different parts of the country, especially in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila.
The Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, will also attend the meeting telematically and will address the media after the meeting from the Advanced Command Post in Cenicientos (Madrid).
Half an hour earlier, at 9:00 a.m., the third vice-president and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, will preside over the monitoring meeting on the evolution of the fires at the National Forest Fire Information Coordination Center in Madrid.
Smoke from Madrid reaches Tarragona
The plume of smoke from the fires that led to the declaration of a national emergency in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila reached the Mediterranean late on Thursday afternoon.
This is how it looked from the Meteosat 3rd generation
Roads and bus lines cut in Madrid
According to sources from the regional government of Madrid, this community is experiencing a “critical” situation, with three extremely serious fires “active,” none of which are “controlled,” and which have led to the evacuation of more than 10,000 people from four municipalities: Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Pelayos de la Presa, and Aldea del Fresno.
The regional roads M-507 and M-540 and several sections of three others (M-501, M-541, and M-206) are closed to traffic in the Madrid region as a result of these fires, and this Friday the service of five interurban lines is temporarily suspended in the Community of Madrid.
The Community of Madrid has mobilized nine interurban buses from the Regional Transport Consortium (CRTM) to collaborate with emergency services in evacuation and transfer efforts and has reported that it maintains permanent monitoring of the situation in residences and social care centers located in the areas affected by the fires.
It has also indicated that the Madrid Health Service (Sermas) has at least six hundred hospital beds available for possible evacuation or referral needs related to the fires, and has activated coordination with all hospitals and health centers to guarantee response capacity.
The Ávila fire advances virulently
In Castilla y León, there are ten active forest fires, but several of them have evolved favorably during this Thursday, and the severity levels have been lowered for the fires in Rábano de Aliste (Zamora), Retortillo (Soria), now without confinements or evacuations, and Castropodame (León).
However, authorities have expressed concern about the fire in Burgohondo (Ávila), which is advancing virulently.
This fire, which was declared last Wednesday, has forced the evacuation of 1,500 people from a rural tourism center and an urbanization in the municipality of El Tiemblo, due to the advance of flames at a speed of 3 kilometers in 40 minutes.
In addition to the evacuations, including two campsites and a rural tourism center, and the confinement of Burgohondo, Navaluenga, and El Tiemblo, the flames have entered the Valle de Iruelas Natural Reserve, one of the most unique areas of the province, home to one of Europe’s main colonies of black vultures, which has been “practically devastated.”
The three simultaneous fires affecting the Community of Madrid remain uncontained and uncontrolled, despite effective night work
Weather conditions, mainly wind, will complicate extinction efforts this Friday.
The number of evacuees remains at over 10,000 people from municipalities such as Aldea del Fresno, Villa del Prado, Pelayos de la Presa, and San Martín de Valdeiglesias.
SUMMA112 has been working all night in its preventive devices, especially for chronic patients.
More than 270 professionals including Firefighters, forest agents, and UME have been working on the ground.
The Murias de Ponjos (León) fire forces the evacuation of residents from three towns
The towns of Rosales, Folloso, and Andarraso, with nearly 40 people, have been evacuated due to the Murias de Ponjos (León) fire after the Potential Severity Index was raised to 2 at 10:35 p.m. yesterday due to a serious risk to populations and non-forest assets.
The decision was made by the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi) after a meeting held due to the advance of the flames, offering evacuated residents the possibility of being housed in the schools of the town of Riello.
