Spain wildfires burn 111,000 acres, displacing 88,000 people

Mass evacuations as flames engulf Madrid region

Spanish authorities said Saturday that raging wildfires in Madrid and Avila have consumed approximately 45,000 hectares and forced nearly 88,000 residents to evacuate or remain confined indoors amid deteriorating air quality. The blaze in Avila has scorched 21,000 hectares while the Madrid fire has destroyed 24,000 hectares, according to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The Interior Ministry released figures earlier showing 87,750 people have been displaced — 30,000 evacuated in Avila and 29,488 in Madrid, with thousands more under lockdown. At least 10 roads remain closed in the capital region, and officials urged residents to wear masks outdoors and avoid unnecessary travel due to hazardous smoke conditions.

Officials warn of unpredictable conditions

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected areas on Saturday and warned that the fire situation remained complex despite dropping temperatures. "We don't know how the wind will develop, even though temperatures have dropped," he said, adding that approximately 130,000 hectares have burned since January — exceeding the decadal average of 100,000 hectares for an entire year.

The Andalusian regional government ordered a lockdown in a Granada province town due to a separate wildfire that broke out Saturday, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to emergency status. Another fire erupted in Castellon during the day, requiring the deployment of seven aircraft and numerous ground crews as authorities noted the situation was worsening.

EU mobilizes firefighting fleet

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced support for Spain and France on social media platform X, announcing that four planes from the rescEU fleet would arrive in Spain during the day. "Copernicus is also providing emergency mapping to support the response in both countries," von der Leyen added.

Approximately 100 employees of NASA's Deep Space Communications Complex in Madrid were evacuated on Friday as flames advanced toward the facility, according to El Pais. The last two weeks of July have marked the fourth-worst streak of large wildfires in Spain since 1983, with data showing a sharp jump in hectares burned as fires spread rapidly and became concentrated in specific areas.