Spain is grappling with extensive wildfires west of Madrid that have forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, officials said on Sunday. The country’s interior ministry reported that approximately 60,000 people have fled their homes due to the blazes, which authorities describe as the worst fire event ever recorded in the region. Earlier estimates from a central government delegate in Madrid indicated that as many as 70,000 individuals might have been displaced.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected area and emphasized that the highest priority remains saving lives and protecting inhabited locations. Speaking in the village of Cenicientos within the fire zone, Sanchez noted that while temperatures had decreased, the unpredictability of wind conditions could complicate firefighting efforts in the coming days.
The fires, fueled by dry conditions, early Saturday merged into a large conflagration threatening to combine with a third fire in the neighboring province of Avila, within the Castilla y Leon region. An estimated 30,000 evacuees came from villages around Madrid, with an equal number displaced in Avila. Authorities also instructed 8,000 residents in Madrid and 20,000 in Avila to remain indoors as a precaution.
The impact of the fires has reached the Spanish capital. Residents in central Madrid reported a strong smell of smoke lingering in the air, compelling them to keep windows closed. The Ministry of Health issued warnings against prolonged outdoor exposure due to poor air quality.
Evacuees have been accommodated in sports halls and emergency centers around Madrid. Among them is Jacqueline Villafranca, a 38-year-old mother from Peru, who described the distress in evacuating with her family from the village of Navalagamella. “Yesterday was unbearable. My daughter came home from holiday camp and said, ‘Mum, I can’t open my eyes, my eyes are burning,’” she said, recounting the effects of the smoke.
Some residents initially resisted evacuation efforts. For example, 56-year-old Rosa from the village of Robledo de Cañada, who suffers from asthma, initially refused to leave in order to organize care for the feral cats she keeps. She eventually complied after police intervention but expressed concern that no measures were taken to protect the animals.
In a separate incident, a smaller wildfire near the eastern city of Valencia, close to the town of Manises, resulted in one confirmed fatality, local authorities reported without providing further details.
Spain has experienced above-average wildfire activity this year, with around 168,000 hectares burned to date according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The country’s worst recent wildfire season occurred in 2025, when fires destroyed more than 393,000 hectares, underscoring growing concerns about the increasing frequency and severity of forest fires amid climate change.