Spanish wildfires force 100,000 to evacuate or shelter as fires merge

Massive wildfires raging across Spain's Ávila province and the Community of Madrid have led to the evacuation or confinement of 100,000 people and consumed 45,000 hectares. Both fires remain active and uncontrolled, with strong winds persisting for four days, making extinction efforts extremely difficult for firefighters.

Efforts on Sunday are concentrated on protecting populated areas and preventing the flames from the two fronts from merging. The Military Emergencies Unit (UME) is now treating the incidents as a single large fire, and the government has expanded the national emergency declaration to include Toledo province.

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It has not been a positive day, it has not been because the meteorological conditions have been absolutely difficult, and if it has not gotten worse, it has been thanks to the work of all [public] servants.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska described Saturday as "not a positive day" due to the challenging weather conditions, crediting the work of public servants for preventing the situation from worsening. Firefighting continued through the night with the primary goal of stopping the southern flames from the Burgohondo fire in Ávila from merging with those advancing from Madrid.

Lieutenant General Francisco Javier Marcos Izquierdo of the UME stated that the fires had only merged in a "very small discontinuous front" near San Martín de Valdeiglesias, located between the two main fronts. He indicated that the advance of the flames had been halted in the interior of both fires and on the eastern flank heading towards Madrid, defining the perimeter but not yet consolidating it. The situation remains highly dependent on wind conditions.

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We believe we have stopped the advance of the flames in the interior of these two fires, as well as on the eastern flank that could roll towards Madrid. The perimeter is defined, but it is not consolidated.