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Emergency declared as wildfires sweep Madrid region
🇮🇪 Ireland /Disasters & Emergencies

Emergency declared as wildfires sweep Madrid region

From RTÉ News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Spain declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and Avila province due to multiple out-of-control wildfires.
  • Over 10,000 people have been evacuated across the Madrid region as fires spread rapidly.
  • Spain has already seen nearly 125,000 hectares burn this year, significantly more than the previous year.

Spain has declared a national emergency in the Madrid region and the province of Avila, near the capital, as multiple wildfires rage uncontrollably. The measure, announced by the interior ministry, aims to expedite the deployment of resources and places the military emergency unit in charge of the response.

Across the Madrid region, more than 10,000 people have been evacuated in recent days. Authorities issued evacuation alerts to 3,500 residents in Aldea de Fresno, located about 60 kilometers from Madrid. In Avila, a fire that began Thursday is spreading rapidly, prompting residents in Burgohondo, El Tiemblo, and Navaluenga to shelter indoors. Approximately 1,500 people were evacuated from a rural tourism complex and a housing development in El Tiemblo due to the flames' swift advance.

The government has deployed every available resource to stop the terrible fires currently affecting numerous areas: Avila, Leon, Toledo, Madrid and other parts of Spain.

— Pedro SanchezPrime Minister Pedro Sanchez commented on the government's efforts to combat the widespread fires.

The largest fire is located east of Madrid, in the province of Guadalajara, approximately 100 kilometers north of the capital. This blaze has already devastated 32,000 hectares (80,000 acres) since last Thursday. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that the government is deploying all available resources to combat the fires affecting numerous areas, including Avila, Leon, Toledo, Madrid, and other parts of Spain. He urged the public to exercise extreme caution and follow official instructions.

Spain has experienced a severe wildfire season, with nearly 125,000 hectares (309,000 acres) burned so far this year. This figure already surpasses the total of 393,000 acres burned throughout the entire previous year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The country's struggles mirror those of other European nations, with recent wildfires also impacting Sicily, southwestern France, and central Spain, leading to thousands of evacuations and tragically claiming the life of an Italian firefighter.

great caution

— Pedro SanchezPrime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the public to exercise caution and heed instructions from authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RTÉ News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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