Spanish Wildfires Burn 126,000 Hectares in 2026, Exceeding Previous Years

Wildfires have ravaged Spain, burning approximately 126,000 hectares of land between January 1 and July 25, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition. This figure represents a fivefold increase compared to the same period in 2025, when only 24,133 hectares were affected.

The current year has seen 32 major wildfires, significantly exceeding the decadal average of nine fires for the January-July period. The total burned area is expected to rise further due to numerous ongoing blazes, particularly two large fires in the central provinces of Madrid and Ávila. These fires alone had consumed over 18,000 hectares by Friday, with the Ávila section accounting for an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 hectares.

These devastating fires have forced over 63,000 people to evacuate or remain confined to their localities. Approximately 50,000 individuals in the southwestern Madrid region have been displaced or restricted from leaving their towns. In Ávila, more than 5,000 people were evacuated, and another 8,600 were confined.

While improved atmospheric conditions overnight slowed the fires' advance and reduced their intensity, allowing firefighters to combat multiple flames, authorities fear a resurgence as conditions are expected to worsen during the day. The proximity of the two major fires, though not yet merged, is a significant concern for control teams. Strong winds reaching up to 60 kilometers per hour, high temperatures, and low humidity fueled the fires' rapid spread on Friday, leading to the closure of 35 roads, primarily in central Spain.