This is the first national emergency declaration linked to a wildfire in Spain, said authorities. Spain and much of southern Europe face increasingly severe wildfire seasons that scientists have linked to climate change (EPA Images pic) MADRID: The Spanish government on Thursday night declared a national emergency after a series of wildfires threatened communities near Madrid and in the neighbouring province of Avila, forcing more than 10,000 people to evacuate as firefighters struggled to contain the blazes.The interior ministry said the decision was taken because of the simultaneous outbreak of several fires, adverse weather conditions and the need to mobilise extensive resources from different public administrations, increasing the complexity of firefighting and civil protection efforts.Spain and much of southern Europe face increasingly severe wildfire seasons that scientists have linked to climate change.
Experts say abundant vegetation growth following unusually heavy spring rainfall has dried out in extreme summer heat, creating fuel for rapidly spreading fires.The regional government of Madrid requested assistance, describing the situation as one of "extreme gravity". It said active fires in Villa del Prado, San Martin de Valdeiglesias and Almorox, in neighbouring Castile-La Mancha, had the potential to advance beyond current extinguishing capacity. It also warned that the wildfire in Burgohondo, Avila, could reach the Madrid region in the coming hours due to weather conditions.More than 10,000 people have been evacuated from Villa del Prado, San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Pelayos de la Presa and Aldea del Fresno, according to the regional government.Under Spain's National Civil Protection System law, the declaration places the emergency under the direct authority of the interior minister, who is responsible for coordinating the response.
Authorities said it was the first such declaration linked to a wildfire.More than 270 emergency personnel and 40 ground units have been deployed in the affected areas, alongside several Military Emergency Unit (UME) contingents.More than 100,000 hectares have burnt in Spain so far this year, roughly equivalent to the country's average annual burnt area over the past decade. Thirteen people have died, making 2026 one of the deadliest wildfire seasons in decades. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s government declared a national emergency Friday after wildfires forced the evacuation of some 10,000 people in the central region of Madrid, while in southern France tens of thousands fled their homes to escape two major blazes.The national emergency in Spain means that the nation’s interior ministry, which controls police and security forces, has taken charge of overseeing the firefighting efforts by Spain’s regions as they struggle to battle multiple blazes that are being fanned by a heatwave.The regional government of Madrid, which spans a wide area around the capital city, said 10,000 people had been evacuated from different villages as multiple fires raged out of control late on Thursday.Spain has seen an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) already burned this year, over four times the amount of terrain that was burned through the first half of 2025.This year's fires include Spain's second-largest ever fire that consumed some 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) in recent days in the province of Guadalajara north of Madrid.
Thirteen people were also killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month, the deadliest fire in recent memory for Spain.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday called for a pact between political parties to fight climate change that he said is key to adapting to a more fire-prone climate.Temperatures are expected to top 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in parts of southeastern Spain, including a high of 44 C (111 F).Authorities in southwestern France on Friday ordered more mass evacuations on the Atlantic coast because of large wildfires. An estimated 40,000 people have been driven from their homes over the past two days in the region.More than 87 square kilometers (34 square miles) have been burned by the blaze that has been raging since Wednesday near the touristic Cap Ferret peninsula. Some people were forced to flee by boat.France requested the activation of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism.“We will soon be able to rely on reinforcements including two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and two heavy-lift Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.Southern Europe has seen multiple large fires this summer.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming co… The national emergency in Spain means that the nation’s interior ministry, which controls police and security forces, has taken charge of overseeing the firefighting efforts by Spain’s regions as they struggle to battle multiple blazes that are being fanned by a heatwave. The regional government of Madrid, which spans a wide area around the capital city, said 10,000 people had been evacuated from different villages as multiple fires raged out of control late on Thursday.
Spain has seen an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) already burned this year, over four times the amount of terrain that was burned through the first half of 2025. This year’s fires include Spain’s second-largest ever fire that consumed some 320 square kilometers (120 square miles) in recent days in the province of Guadalajara north of Madrid. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday called for a pact between political parties to fight climate change that he said is key to adapting to a more fire-prone climate.
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