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Madrid Wildfire Survivors Fear 'Natural Disaster' as Fires Rage
🇵🇦 Panama /Disasters & Emergencies

Madrid Wildfire Survivors Fear 'Natural Disaster' as Fires Rage

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Residents evacuated due to out-of-control wildfires west of Madrid are seeking refuge in temporary shelters, fearing a natural disaster.
  • Over 25,000 hectares have burned, forcing the evacuation of 60,000 people, with smoke blanketing areas including the historic El Escorial monastery.
  • Officials prioritize saving lives while acknowledging the significant environmental damage, as residents express concern over the fires' intensity and the condition of the dry vegetation.

Elvira Menéndez barely slept, finding little comfort in the sports center where she and about 200 others from Chapinería are temporarily housed. "It's not like home," she said, describing the crowded conditions with barking dogs and snoring people. Evacuated Friday from the wildfire raging west of Madrid, she found refuge in Villaviciosa de Odón, 30 kilometers from her village.

It's not like home, there are dogs, people snoring.

— Elvira MenéndezAn evacuated resident described the conditions at a temporary shelter.

Saturday morning, the sky remained shrouded in smoke, a grim reminder of the inferno consuming the Madrid countryside. The historic El Escorial monastery, a major tourist destination, was enveloped in a gray haze. "The fire has overcome all barriers," stated Mar Nicolás, the mayor of Brunete, a nearby town hosting about a hundred evacuees. While the priority is "saving lives," she also voiced deep concern over the "enormous natural disaster" unfolding.

Volunteers at the Villaviciosa de Odón sports center tried to entertain children and distribute meals. "They've treated us very well," Elvira said, despite her age of 80. "I've never seen a fire like this," she admitted, confessing her intense fear for her "entire life."

The fire has overcome all barriers.

— Mar NicolásThe mayor of Brunete commented on the intensity of the wildfire.

By Saturday, the fires had scorched over 25,000 hectares, and 60,000 people had been evacuated, according to the latest official figures. Victoria Hurtado, a 61-year-old home care assistant, fled Chapinería with the elderly, ill man she cares for, managing to grab only a small bag with clothes and medication. "They received us with open arms," she said, though worried about when she could return home. She remains optimistic, trusting firefighters are doing everything possible.

The priority is 'saving lives,' but the mayor also does not hide her concern about 'the great natural disaster that all this is causing'.

— Mar NicolásThe mayor of Brunete expressed concern about the environmental impact of the fires.

These intense fires, also affecting France, are fueled by extremely dry vegetation, a consequence of drought and exceptional heatwaves across Western Europe since June. Antonio Luis Rodríguez spent the night in the Villaviciosa de Odón gym with his son, having escaped with only the clothes on his back. He worries about his dog left behind in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, another evacuated town. Rodríguez, 48, is critical of authorities, blaming insufficient land clearing. "The fields here haven't been cleaned lately, they're in bad shape, so anything burns like gunpowder," he stated, also lamenting the neglect of agricultural areas.

I'm 80 years old and I've never seen a fire like this.

— Elvira MenéndezAn elderly evacuated resident shared her experience with the wildfire.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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