The 93 residents of Navalagamella who had been accommodated in the Alcobendas sports centre since Friday have returned home. The accommodation scheme included lodging, meals, and psychological support.
A total of 93 residents of Navalagamella who were evacuated last Friday due to forest fires returned to their homes on Tuesday. They had been staying at the municipal sports centre in Alcobendas, where they received care for four days.
The return was facilitated by intercity buses from the Regional Transport Consortium, once authorities lifted restrictions in a dozen municipalities in Madrid and five in Ávila. In total, nearly a thousand residents of the Community of Madrid have been able to return to their homes.
The mayor of Alcobendas, Rocío García Alcántara, expressed her satisfaction with the return. “We are deeply glad that you can finally return to your home, although we do so with heavy hearts,” she stated. “In these days, we have shared much more than just a space: smiles, hugs, hope, and the certainty that, even in the most difficult moments, no one is alone.”
The Alcobendas City Council has thanked all those who participated in the accommodation scheme since Friday night. Among them were volunteers, municipal workers, Civil Protection, Local Police, National Police, the Community of Madrid, collaborating companies, entities, and residents. “With your time, effort, and generosity, you have made each family feel accompanied and cared for,” the mayor emphasised.
During these four days, the facility set up in the Amaya Valdemoro pavilion provided accommodation, meals, healthcare, social support, and psychological assistance from professionals of the Community of Madrid. It also had the constant support of Civil Protection volunteers.
The little ones participated in entertainment activities with the sports centre monitors and enjoyed bouncy castles. Additionally, on Tuesday morning, both young and old were able to attend a concert by the string duo Váray-Sorózabal, which performed music from Spanish and Hungarian folklore by composers Béla Bartók, Manuel de Falla, and Pablo Sorózabal.
The return to their homes marks the end of an emergency situation that mobilised numerous resources in the area. Authorities have highlighted citizen collaboration and the effectiveness of the accommodation scheme, which ensured that the evacuees were cared for at all times.
The residents of Navalagamella returned to their homes without incidents, and it is expected that the situation in the municipalities affected by the fires will fully normalise in the coming days.
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