The 112 emergency service of the Community of Madrid has authorised the return of those evacuated due to the Almorox forest fire, except for those in the El Encinar del Alberche urbanisation in Villa del Prado, due to high risk.
Residents of several urbanisations in Aldea del Fresno who were evacuated due to the forest fire declared in Almorox (Toledo) can now return to their homes, according to information from the 112 emergency service of the Community of Madrid early on Thursday. The exception applies to residents of the El Encinar del Alberche urbanisation in the Madrid municipality of Villa del Prado, where the situation remains high risk.
The Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Interior of the Community of Madrid, Carlos Novillo, explained in a message on the social network X that the re-housing of certain urbanisations in Aldea del Fresno is underway, but access to El Encinar del Alberche cannot yet be permitted. This decision was made after several hours of work to contain the advance of the fire.
On Wednesday afternoon, the fire forced the activation of Operational Situation 2 of the Special Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fires (Infom) in the Community of Madrid. This resulted in the evacuation of the El Encinar del Alberche urbanisation and the confinement of the population of Villa del Prado, as well as the sending of several ES-Alert messages to citizens to inform them of the evolution of the flames and the presence of smoke.
In one of those messages, authorities indicated that, due to the proximity of the fire to the El Encinar del Alberche urbanisation, residents of the Ribera del Alberche, Rincón del Alberche, and camping areas should head into the town of Aldea del Fresno. Now, the 112 has clarified that all evacuees can return, except for those from El Encinar del Alberche.
The roads in the area remain affected. The M-507 towards Navalcarnero, the N-403 towards Toledo at the junction between both roads, and the M-540 are closed to traffic. These restrictions affect drivers travelling in the southwest of the Community of Madrid, who must seek alternative routes.
In the firefighting efforts, 38 ground units from the Community of Madrid Fire Brigade, Forest Firefighters, and Regional Forest Agents continue to work. This operation is joined by forces from the Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service of Castilla-La Mancha (Plan Infocam), who are collaborating in the area.
Public transport has also been affected. The Regional Transport Consortium of Madrid (CRTM) has informed through its social media that intercity buses on lines 545 and 547 only operate up to the municipality of Villa del Prado, due to the fire near the M-507. The CRTM advises users to plan their journeys and check updated information before travelling.
The Almorox fire, which originated in the province of Toledo, has spread north, affecting bordering areas of the Community of Madrid. The rapid action of emergency services has allowed for partial control of the fire, although the situation in El Encinar del Alberche remains critical. Authorities have not specified when residents of this urbanisation will be able to return, pending safety conditions.
Residents of Aldea del Fresno who have already been able to return to their homes should remain attentive to the instructions from emergency services, as the evolution of the fire could change. The 112 maintains active surveillance in the area and recommends following official accounts for updated information.
This incident highlights the vulnerability of urbanisations situated in forested environments, especially during periods of fire risk. Authorities remind the importance of maintaining preventive measures and cooperating with emergency services in case of evacuation.
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