The regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has presented a Landscape Recovery Plan for the 17 municipalities affected by the major forest fire in the Sierra Oeste, following an extraordinary Government Council meeting.
The Government of the Community of Madrid has approved, in an extraordinary meeting of the Government Council, a Landscape Recovery Plan that affects the 17 municipalities of the Sierra Oeste that suffered from the major forest fire last summer. President Isabel Díaz Ayuso has detailed the actions, which include immediate and medium- to long-term measures for the reconstruction of the area.
The area burned by the fire covers approximately 27,000 hectares. Of this surface, 69% corresponds to forest, 11% to shrubland and grasslands, 7.5% to crops, 4% to infrastructure, and the remaining 8.5% to other land uses. Of these figures, 8,000 hectares are regionally owned public land, while 19,000 belong to private forests.
The most affected plant species have been the holm oak, with 43% of the damaged area; the pine, with 26%; non-wooded land, also with 26%; and other species, with the remaining 5%. The municipalities included in the plan are Aldea del Fresno, Cadalso de los Vidrios, Cenicientos, Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo, El Escorial —due to the evacuation of the Peralejo district—, 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.
In addition to repairing the damage, the regional government plans to create so-called “defence infrastructures,” which will include vineyards, grassland areas, and agricultural plantations. In these lands, vines, varieties of traditional crops, and native plants will be introduced to promote ecosystem recovery and prevent future fires.
Another measure includes the installation of six feeding points for wildlife, where forage (alfalfa) and corn will be distributed, along with salt licks and the reinforcement of existing water points. In public forests, an inventory of the damaged wooded areas will be conducted to assess their level of impact and estimate the volume of wood that can be salvaged or cut.
Actions starting in September
Emergency work will begin next September. This will include the restoration of the forests, the cutting of burned vegetation, and the removal of debris in the safety strips of forest tracks. Seeding in pine forests and soil erosion control will also be carried out using techniques such as brushwood barriers, earth bunds, or straw mulching. These tasks will focus on the slopes of the San Juan and Picadas reservoirs, among other areas.
Once this first phase is completed, technicians will assess whether natural regeneration is progressing on its own or if forest replanting is necessary in areas where it has not occurred.
Support for private forests
In privately owned forests, the cutting of burned trees and shrubs will be authorized with a simple notice and under the supervision of forest agents. Additionally, financial aid to cover damages will be increased, framed within the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC). These grants are expected to be available for application between October and November.
Support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (FEADER) will also be activated in the 2026-2027 call. These grants will cover the drafting of the restoration project, silvicultural treatments to recover vegetation cover, brushwood barriers and earth bunds to retain soil and combat erosion, forest replanting, protection of plantations and natural regeneration, as well as the repair and improvement of forest tracks and water points for wildlife.
With this plan, the Community of Madrid aims not only to repair environmental damage but also to lay the foundations for greater resilience of the Sierra Oeste against future fires, protecting both the ecosystem and the residents of the 17 affected municipalities.
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