The regional president requests the declaration of a national interest emergency due to the severity of the fires in Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias, which have forced the evacuation of thousands of people.
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced this Thursday that she will request the central Government to declare an operational situation level 3, the highest level of national interest emergency, to address the wildfires ravaging the region. The request, directed to the Ministry of the Interior, aims for the State to assume centralized control of the emergency with a single command and reinforcement of resources.
As Ayuso explained, the decision is based on “the severity and simultaneity of wildfires in three autonomous communities” and the risk that a large fire from Ávila could worsen the situation in San Martín de Valdeiglesias. “In Madrid, we have thousands of evacuees and fires beyond our capacity to extinguish. Our resources, along with the UME, are risking their lives to save lives and property,” the president stated from the affected area.
The fires, which began on Wednesday in Almorox (Toledo) and spread to Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias, have forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents of Madrid, according to data from the regional Government. The flames are “beyond capacity to extinguish” and the weather conditions forecasted for Friday, with high temperatures and strong gusts of wind, could worsen the situation.
On Thursday afternoon, the Community of Madrid activated the ES-Alert system to request the evacuation of the population of Aldea del Fresno towards Villamanta, including the AMAM Picadas and San Juan Bautista residences. A confinement notice was also sent to residents near the Caravan Garden urbanization, urging them to head to the urban centre of Aldea del Fresno.
The Madrid 112 Security and Emergency Agency (Asem 112) has requested the population to follow updated information through official media and social networks. Additionally, the M-507 towards Navalcarnero and the N-403 towards Toledo have been closed at the intersection of both roads.
Eighteen units of the Community of Madrid Firefighters, Forest Agents, and the Military Emergency Unit (UME) are participating in the firefighting efforts. The Ministry of Ecological Transition has made two amphibious FOCA planes available to the region to support operations. The Government delegate, Francisco Martín, assured that “all resources of the Government of Spain are active and available to the Community of Madrid.”
Ayuso visited the area affected by the Villa del Prado fire on Thursday and warned of the risk in the next 24 to 48 hours due to adverse weather forecasts. The San Martín de Valdeiglesias fire, declared near kilometre 57 of the M-501, has also put the residents of Pelayos de la Presa on alert.
The declaration of operational situation level 3, if approved by the Ministry of the Interior, would activate the National Civil Protection System with a single command and mobilise state and international resources. The regional president emphasised the need to “reinforce national and even international support” given the magnitude of the fires.
The evacuated residents have been relocated to centres set up by the municipalities, while emergency services continue to work to contain the flames. The Community of Madrid recommends that the population stay informed and follow the authorities' instructions.
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