Spain declares national emergency as wildfires near Madrid spread

Spain declared a national emergency over wildfires near Madrid and in the province of Avila, giving Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska control of a response that quickly moved beyond a regional firefight. More than 10,000 people evacuated from affected areas, and Spanish authorities declared it the first national emergency in the country linked to a wildfire.

A blaze that began near Almorox, southwest of Madrid, prompted evacuations in nearby municipalities and forced emergency services to send repeated mobile-phone alerts as the fire spread quickly. More than 270 emergency personnel and 40 ground units were deployed in the affected areas, alongside contingents from the Military Emergency Unit, while the central government took charge of coordinating state, regional and local resources.

Fires near the capital can threaten dense population centers, road links and critical infrastructure, while smoke and closures can ripple across the wider Community of Madrid. Avila added another layer of risk, with its dry terrain and vegetation making it vulnerable to fast-moving summer fires under heat and low humidity.

Spain also requested assistance from the European Union as the blazes spread. The July 24 fires came amid a wider wave of evacuations across France and Spain, with tens of thousands displaced as western Europe battled extreme heat and strong winds.

The new emergency came after a deadly run of summer fires in Spain. Wildfires in southern Spain killed 12 people and left 23 missing on July 10, and Spain’s largest wildfire of the year was still burning for a fifth day on July 20 as another heatwave loomed.