The central government has declared a national emergency due to the three wildfires ravaging the southwest of the Community of Madrid. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated and 26 homes have been burned in Villa del Prado.
The southwest of the Community of Madrid is experiencing a critical day. Three simultaneous wildfires, all beyond extinguishing capacity, have forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people in the municipalities of Villa del Prado, Aldea del Fresno, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, and Pelayos de la Presa. The fire has already burned 890 hectares and 26 homes, according to the provisional report from the Civil Guard.
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has declared a national emergency in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila. This declaration means that operational command falls to the head of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), which coordinates all state, regional, and local resources.
The first fire originated on Wednesday night in Almorox (Toledo) and crossed the provincial boundary, causing the most damage in Villa del Prado. The second also started in Villa del Prado and affects Aldea del Fresno. The third, declared on Thursday in San Martín de Valdeiglesias after a vehicle caught fire on the M-501 road, threatens Pelayos de la Presa.
The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has warned that the coming hours in the vicinity of Villa del Prado will be "very complicated" due to high temperatures and wind. However, the Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Interior, Carlos Novillo, has acknowledged that night-time efforts have been effective and the perimeter has not grown since Wednesday afternoon.
The Almorox fire remains at operational level 2, with the perimeter controlled and the severity level reduced to 1. However, concerns persist in the El Encinar del Alberche urbanisation, where evacuations and access restrictions continue. In Villa del Prado, the Civil Guard has recorded 26 burned homes, 225 affected plots, and 20 destroyed vehicles. In the province of Toledo, the fire has reached another six homes and several cars, with 26 people still evacuated.
The magnitude and simultaneity of the three fires have led the regional government to request the central government to declare Operational Situation 3 of the Civil Protection Plan against Wildfires (Infoma), of national interest. The Interior Ministry justifies the decision due to the occurrence of several fires, adverse weather conditions, and the need to mobilise numerous resources from different administrations. The direct threat to populated areas and the preventive evacuations have increased the complexity of the emergency.
Emergency services insist that weather conditions remain extreme and there is a risk of the fire reigniting. Ayuso has announced that the regional government will soon announce aid and plans to mitigate the consequences of the fires, and has thanked "the solidarity and patience of everyone" and the behaviour of those affected.
The UME is working tirelessly to defend the urban-forest interface, especially in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, where teams are fighting house by house to protect the population and homes. Evacuated residents have been relocated to shelters set up by the municipalities and the Community of Madrid.
Authorities remind the public to stay away from affected areas and to follow the instructions of emergency services. It is recommended not to approach the fire perimeters and to keep evacuation routes clear. The evolution of the fires will depend on weather conditions in the coming hours, with high temperatures and wind that could complicate extinguishing efforts.
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