The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has activated sole command following the forecast that the fires in Madrid and Ávila will converge into one in the area of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The measure aims to expedite the response to an emergency that has already forced the evacuation of 70,000 people.
On Saturday, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, decided to take charge of the emergency response to the fires ravaging the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila, following the forecast that both fires will merge into a single one in the area of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The decision was made during the meeting of the State Coordination and Direction Committee of the State Emergency Plan (CECOD), held in Cenicientos, a town in Madrid that has had to be evacuated due to the advance of the flames.
“A window of opportunity to protect lives and fight against this grave fire,” Sánchez described the coming hours, in light of the change in wind and the drop in temperatures. The head of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), Lieutenant General Francisco Javier Marcos Izquierdo, explained that “it is expected that, in a short time,” the two fires will join into a single front, which has prompted the creation of a unified command. From now on, the fire will be treated as one, rather than two independent fronts.
The President of the Government reminded that, under Article 30 of the National Civil Protection System Law and following the request from the communities of Madrid and Castilla y León, the central government assumes command of the response. “We seek agility and effectiveness in the response,” Sánchez pointed out, who appeared alongside the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Government Delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín.
The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, was present at the meeting and avoided any confrontation with the Government, despite Friday's statements from Minister Óscar Puente. “All administrations are working together, facing an unprecedented single fire. We have been meeting with the President, working and focused on what is most important right now,” Ayuso stated. The Madrid President emphasised the seriousness of the situation: “A kind of unique atmosphere has been created among the fires, which are already behaving as one. Therefore, this situation is completely unprecedented, never seen before, which leads us to fear much worse situations.”
The fire has forced the evacuation of Cenicientos, where the Advanced Command Post was located, which has been moved to Navalcarnero. In total, more than 70,000 people have already been evacuated, with thousands confined due to the fires declared in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila. Of the 70,000 evacuated, half (35,000) are from the western Sierra municipalities of Madrid, while 30,000 are from the Tiétar valley area and nearly 5,000 from the province of Ávila, where the fire originated.
Sánchez detailed that ten autonomous communities have already made resources available for the operation. Additionally, he confirmed the arrival on Saturday of four firefighting planes from Greece (two) and Italy (two), following the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism requested by the UME. More than a hundred Portuguese Army personnel have also been deployed in the province of Ávila.
The President of the Government provided a summary of the campaign: more than 130,000 hectares burned so far this year, above the average of 100,000 hectares annually recorded over the last decade. He called for “a great state pact” among institutions in response to what he has termed a climate emergency, and announced that the Government is preparing to support municipalities and provincial councils in the reconstruction efforts of the affected areas.
For her part, Ayuso has requested that the roads be cleared so that the emergency services can operate more effectively. The immediate priority, she stated, is “to save lives, evacuate municipalities, assist vulnerable populations, and continue to combat the fire, and then assess the damage.” The coming hours are considered crucial to attempt to control a fire that authorities have defined as “beyond extinguishing capacity.”
Residents of the affected municipalities, especially in the western Sierra of Madrid, remain on alert for the possible evolution of the fire. Authorities recommend following the indications of Civil Protection and keeping evacuation routes clear. The Advanced Command Post, now in Navalcarnero, coordinates the firefighting and assistance efforts for the population.
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