The wildfires affecting several areas of the Community of Madrid and Ávila have caused a dense cloud of smoke that extends over northern municipalities such as Colmenar Viejo, Manzanares El Real, and Soto del Real. Residents report ash falling and a strong smell of burning.
The wildfires that have been ravaging several areas of the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila since Thursday are generating a smoke cloud that affects a large part of the northern region. Residents of municipalities like Colmenar Viejo, Manzanares El Real, Soto del Real, Cobeña, and San Sebastián de los Reyes have reported the presence of dense smoke, falling ash, and a strong smell of burning that has persisted over the last few hours.
The most critical situation occurred on Thursday evening when several municipalities in the northern area urged residents to close doors and windows to prevent smoke from entering homes. Although visibility improved slightly on Friday morning, residents claim that particles are still noticeable in the air.
Jair, a resident of Colmenar Viejo, explained that although the situation has improved compared to the previous night, ash is still falling on the town. “At night it was unbreathable, now it’s less noticeable but the smell persists,” he stated.
From Cobeña, Carmen recounted that during her commute to work in Alcobendas, she could not see the reflection of the sun on the four towers of the capital. “There was a smoke haze that covered everything,” she described, surprised that the fires, which are relatively far from this area, are affecting it so much.
In the northern mountains, residents of Puebla de la Sierra have gone from the fright of the Lozoyuela fire last week to concern over the constant smoke. Santos, a resident of this small village with fewer than 100 inhabitants, shared that at times “the mountains were hardly visible” and that the air quality is “terrible.”
Due to the proximity of the La Mierla fire, a meeting has been called in Puebla de la Sierra for this Sunday to prepare an evacuation plan. According to Santos, a responsible person will be designated for each street in the village to act quickly in case of emergency.
“We are surrounded by nature and forest mass that we love, but we also know that the risk is real. We have fear in our bodies,” he acknowledged.
In San Sebastián de los Reyes, Natalia lamented that the City Council has maintained the traditional firework display scheduled for this Friday, where a firework is launched for each bull participating in the August bull runs. “With the respect and solidarity that those affected by the fires deserve, I think it should have been cancelled,” she opined.
In light of the smoke spreading across numerous municipalities, the head of the SUMMA 112 duty team, Ester Armela, has reminded residents of basic advice for protection: avoid outdoor activities, wear masks outdoors if suffering from any respiratory or allergic condition, and keep windows and doors of homes closed.
The Community of Madrid maintains an extreme risk of wildfires in the northern mountains for this Friday, July 24. Authorities remind that it is prohibited to make fires, use stoves or barbecues, throw cigarette butts out of car windows, or park vehicles on dry vegetation.
In case of any sign of fire or smoke, no matter how small, one should call 112, as quick attention can prevent the fire from spreading. Residents of northern Madrid remain alert to the evolution of the wildfires and hope that weather conditions will help control the flames in the coming days.
