The Ministry of the Interior has declared a national emergency in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila due to three active wildfires. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from various municipalities in Madrid.
The Ministry of the Interior, led by Fernando Grande-Marlaska, activated the national emergency this evening in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila. The measure responds to the simultaneous occurrence of three wildfires threatening the southwest of the region, which have forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people.
The active fires are located in Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, and Almorox (Toledo), the latter already contained but not controlled. The flames have already ravaged nearly 1,000 hectares and have burned at least 26 homes, most of them in Madrid territory.
The decision by the central government, according to ministry sources, was made due to adverse weather conditions and the need to mobilise resources from different administrations. From now on, the operational direction of the emergency falls to the head of the Military Emergency Unit (UME).
Fernando Grande-Marlaska has travelled to the forward command post located in the Madrid town of Cenicientos to closely monitor the evolution of the fires. The minister is coordinating on the ground with regional and local officials.
The Community of Madrid has reported that the evacuees come from the towns of Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Pelayos de la Presa, and Aldea del Fresno. In Aldea del Fresno, around 3,500 residents have been evacuated and relocated to Villamanta, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics.
Additionally, the residential centre Casa Hogar Aman Picadas, in Aldea del Fresno, has been evacuated due to the proximity of the fire. Its 78 residents have been moved to the municipal sports centre, as reported by 112 Comunidad de Madrid.
In San Martín de Valdeiglesias, a fire caused by a vehicle that caught fire on the M-501 has forced the preventive confinement of a nursing home and has advised residents of the San Ramón and Jaracruz urbanisations to stay in their homes.
Emergency services 112 sent an ES-Alert message to the population of Pelayos de la Presa at 17:00 hours advising them to move to the urban area due to the proximity of the fire. Authorities recommend that citizens follow the instructions of emergency services and stay informed through official channels.
The fire in Almorox, which started Wednesday afternoon in the Toledo town, has spread to the south of the Community of Madrid. Although it is contained, it is not controlled. The evolution of the fire has necessitated the evacuation and confinement of streets in the Calalberche urbanisation, in Santa Cruz del Retamar (Toledo).
These three fires could be joined by the fire in Burgohondo (Ávila). Weather forecasts indicate that it could impact the Community of Madrid in the coming hours, further worsening the situation.
The Community of Madrid has reinforced the healthcare network in response to the emergency. According to the regional government, coordination with hospitals and healthcare centres has been activated to ensure the capacity to respond to possible injuries or smoke-related issues.
Five regional roads remain closed to traffic due to the fires. In Villa del Prado, the M-507 and M-540 are closed in both directions. The M-507, between kilometres 27.5 and 36, and the M-540, between kilometres 1 and 6.9, from Villa del Prado to the border with Toledo. The N-403 is also closed towards Toledo.
The declaration of a national emergency allows for a more agile mobilisation of state resources, including aerial and ground assets from the UME. Firefighting teams are working tirelessly to contain the flames, while authorities are asking the public to avoid affected areas and not obstruct access for emergency services.
The situation remains critical, with adverse weather conditions hindering firefighting efforts. Updates on the evolution of the fires and possible new evacuations are expected in the coming hours.
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