The fire affecting the Community of Madrid for several days has moderated its advance, but remains unstable. The most dangerous front is located north of the San Juan reservoir, where 300 firefighters are battling the flames.
The forest fire that has been raging in the western Sierra of the Community of Madrid since last Thursday has reduced its progression in recent hours, but is still not under control. According to the Government Delegation in Madrid, the fire maintains three active fronts, the most virulent of which is located north of the San Juan reservoir, in the municipality of Villa del Prado.
The regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, warned on Monday through her social media that flames from the fire in Ávila have worsened the situation in that area. There, 300 firefighters are working tirelessly to achieve stabilization of the fire, which is particularly harsh on the Sierra Oeste region.
Ayuso highlighted that the focus of the firefighting teams is now on the flare-up recorded in Villa del Prado, and she thanked the efforts of those deployed under extremely difficult conditions. "There are no words to thank them for their work," wrote the Madrid leader.
Official figures reflect the magnitude of a disaster affecting three provinces. By Sunday afternoon, the fires in Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo had burned a total of 77,000 hectares: 50,000 in the province of Ávila, more than 25,000 within the Community of Madrid, and over 2,000 in Toledo territory.
The human toll is equally severe. Nearly 90,000 people have been evacuated or confined across the three provinces. Of these, 55,000 are residents of the Madrid region who have had to leave their homes or remain confined in their houses due to the advance of the flames.
Road closures remain one of the main consequences of the fire in the western Sierra of Madrid. The M-501 and M-512 in Navas del Rey; the M-507 and M-540 in Villa del Prado; the M-510 in Valdemorillo; the M-533 in Zarzalejo; the M-537 and M-539 in Robledo de Chavela; the M-541 in Pelayos de la Presa; and the M-548 in Cenicientos are all inaccessible. All of these roads are closed while teams work to contain the fire in the area.
Both the Government Delegation and the regional Executive have reiterated their call for the population to exercise extreme caution. Although the situation has slightly improved in recent hours, authorities insist that the fire remains uncontrolled and that the evolution of the fronts is unpredictable.
Residents of the affected municipalities, especially in Villa del Prado, Navas del Rey, Robledo de Chavela, and Valdemorillo, remain on alert for the possibility of new evacuation orders. Emergency teams continue to work on the ground to protect homes and infrastructure threatened by the flames.
The Community of Madrid has deployed the largest firefighting operation in its history, with over a thousand personnel, including firefighters, forest agents, and members of the Military Emergency Unit (UME). Despite the efforts, adverse weather conditions, with high temperatures and wind, hinder firefighting tasks.
Forecasts for the coming hours indicate a slight decrease in temperatures and a possible increase in humidity, which could aid in controlling the flames. However, authorities do not rule out the possibility that the fire could reactivate at any moment if the wind changes direction.
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