The regional government allocates €20 million from the PIR Reserve Fund to clean, repair, and rebuild damaged infrastructure in the affected towns, where over 56,000 residents live.
The Community of Madrid has launched this week the initial cleaning and damage assessment efforts in the 17 municipalities of the Sierra Oeste affected by last summer's wildfires. The Minister of Presidency, Justice and Local Administration, Miguel Ángel García Martín, has supervised the interventions taking place in Pelayos de la Presa and Robledo de Chavela, two of the most affected towns.
The regional government has allocated a budget of €20 million from the Reserve Fund of the Regional Investment Programme (PIR) to address the recovery. This funding will allow for the cleaning, repair, and reconstruction of damaged municipal infrastructure, as well as the restoration of basic services in the affected towns, where over 56,000 residents live.
During his visit, García Martín highlighted that "work is being done in coordination with the municipalities to identify the most urgent needs and accelerate the recovery of damaged infrastructure and public services." The minister toured the most affected areas and checked the operation of heavy machinery already working on the removal of debris and burnt remains.
First containers and special waste management device
The cleaning efforts have begun with the installation of the first 30 containers of 6 cubic meters and nine large-capacity containers, which will be continuously removed and replaced according to the needs of each municipality. The Community of Madrid has also launched an extraordinary device to expedite the removal and treatment of waste generated by the fire, and has temporarily relaxed the administrative procedures associated with this matter.
The reconstruction work will take place in Aldea del Fresno, Cadalso de los Vidrios, Cenicientos, Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo, El Escorial —due to the evacuation of the Peralejo district and the impacts recorded in its municipal area—, Fresnedillas de la Oliva, Navalagamella, Navas del Rey, Pelayos de la Presa, Robledo de Chavela, Rozas de Puerto Real, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Santa María de la Alameda, Valdemaqueda, Villa del Prado, and Zarzalejo.
The regional government has assured that it will continue to deploy a set of immediate, medium, and long-term actions to promote the reconstruction of the Sierra Oeste. Among the planned measures are support for families, municipalities, self-employed individuals, businesses, and agricultural and livestock operations, as well as initiatives aimed at recovering infrastructure and public services, boosting economic reactivation, and strengthening the environmental recovery of the affected municipalities.
For the local residents, the return to normality will be gradual. The initial actions focus on ensuring the safety and habitability of homes, as well as restoring basic services that may have been damaged. The municipalities are acting as direct interlocutors with the regional administration to prioritise the most urgent works.
The fire that ravaged the Sierra Oeste last August burned thousands of hectares and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people. The recovery of this area, which holds significant ecological and tourist value, will be key to the economic development of the affected municipalities, which largely depend on agricultural activity and rural tourism.
The Community of Madrid has reminded that PIR funds will also be allocated to the repair of rural roads, water supply networks, and other municipal infrastructure that has suffered damage. In the coming weeks, specific projects to be financed with these €20 million will be announced.
Residents who need information about aid or the status of the works can contact their municipalities, which have the collaboration of the Community of Madrid to coordinate the actions. The goal, according to sources from the regional government, is for the Sierra Oeste to recover its activity and normality as soon as possible.
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