Spanish firefighters battle blaze near Madrid
A massive forest fire northeast of Madrid has burned nearly 13,000 hectares and is out of control, Spanish authorities say.
Public broadcaster RTVE reported that more than 500 firefighters and emergency personnel were working to form firefighting teams and bring the blaze under control on Thursday, with the flames advancing a further 14 kilometers overnight.
Regional Environment Minister Mercedes Gómez said these efforts succeeded in keeping the fire away from nearby communities.
They are supported by Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME).
Ground crews are also assisted by 25 firefighting aircraft.
Gómez said 20 municipalities with approximately 800 residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Fire risk is high across much of Spain; Severe drought and low humidity are affecting most of the country.
▶️ IMPLEMENTATION ➡️ #IFLaMierla in #Guadalajara The priority of @gobjccm’s #INFOCAM operation is the wiring of the new zone of the #IIFF, the defense of city cores and infrastructures. 📹An attack cover by part of #BBFF… pic.twitter.com/ETVIM6B4Ln— INFOCAM (@Plan_INFOCAM) July 19, 2026
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), wildfires in Spain have destroyed more than 80,000 hectares since the beginning of the year; This is almost twice the area burned during the same period last year.
But the worst fires in 2025 did not occur until August, when the area burned rose from about 47,000 hectares in late July to 380,000 hectares in early August in just a few days.
A fire that broke out near ores in the northeastern region of Aragon on Thursday has been largely brought under control after about 14,400 hectares were destroyed, according to Aragon regional president Jorge Azcón.
More than 1,100 people had to temporarily leave their homes.
Approximately 400 firefighters, supported by many helicopters and planes dropping water bombs, fought the flames.
Spain, neighboring Portugal and many other European countries have been affected by a series of large forest fires in recent weeks.
Last week, 13 people died in a fire in the Andalusia region of southern Spain.
Most of the victims were elderly foreign nationals living in the Province of Almería, including seven British and three Belgian citizens.
