Air quality in the Community of Madrid has severely deteriorated due to smoke from wildfires burning in the Sierra Oeste and Ávila. Health authorities recommend limiting outdoor exposure and using high-filtration masks.
The dense orange haze that has covered much of the Community of Madrid since Friday has triggered health alerts. The wildfires affecting the Sierra Oeste of Madrid and the province of Ávila have already burned more than 25,000 hectares and forced the evacuation or confinement of around 80,000 people, according to official data. The smoke has caused a deterioration of the atmosphere that the Madrid City Council attributes to an increase in suspended particulate pollutants.
Measurement stations began detecting a worsening of levels since Friday night, with high concentrations of fine PM2.5 and PM10 particles. These particles, particularly harmful to health, can penetrate deeply into the respiratory system. The Minister of Health, Mónica García, has warned on her X account that PM2.5 values are well above the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In light of this situation, the Government and health authorities have urged the population to limit exposure to smoke as much as possible. The main recommendation is to stay indoors, and if it is essential to go outside, to wear FFP2 or FFP3 masks. Surgical masks offer little protection against the finer particles present in the smoke, so experts advise using high-filtration masks.
“Avoid physical activity and staying outdoors. If you go outside and there is smoke or ash, use an FFP2/95 mask and glasses to protect your eyes,” wrote Minister Mónica García on her X profile.
In addition to masks, authorities recommend wearing glasses to protect the eyes from smoke and ash exposure. It is also advisable to keep doors and windows closed, activate the recirculation mode on air conditioning systems to prevent outside air from entering, and suspend any outdoor physical activity while pollution persists.
The most vulnerable groups must take extra precautions. Health authorities focus on the elderly, children, pregnant women, and patients with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases. Inhalation of these particles can worsen pre-existing conditions and cause respiratory difficulty, persistent cough, irritation of the airways, or chest pain.
If any of these symptoms occur, health authorities recommend contacting emergency services or going to a healthcare centre. Specialists remind us that anxiety generated by the proximity of the fires can produce a sensation of breathlessness or chest pressure, so it is important for these cases to be evaluated by healthcare professionals to differentiate between an anxiety attack and a respiratory condition.
Air quality in the Community of Madrid remains poor, and the pollution episode is expected to continue until the fires are under control. Authorities recommend following official guidelines and staying informed through emergency channels.
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