Published on: 2026-07-26
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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Madrid, July 26 /Xinhua/ — Forest fires continued to rage on Sunday in the central part of Spain. The fire in the province of Avila became the largest in the entire history of observations in the country, covering about 50 thousand hectares. This was reported by the authorities.
The Third Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Ecological Transition of Spain, Sara Aagesen, stated that the forest fires in the autonomous community of Madrid, as well as the provinces of Avila and Toledo, have spread over a total area of more than 77 thousand hectares.
These regions were the hardest hit: almost 100,000 people in 46 municipalities were evacuated or instructed to stay indoors. Another forest fire that broke out over the weekend in the eastern province of Castellón affected more than 16,000 people in 18 municipalities.
On Sunday, thousands of firefighters, supported by the Military Emergency Unit (UME), firefighting planes, and helicopters, continued to battle the fire.
Commander of UME Lieutenant General Francisco Javier Marcos Isquierdo reported that the fires in Ávila and Madrid remain separate outbreaks, as they only touch at a “very small, discontinuous front” near the municipality of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. According to him, firefighters believe they have managed to stop the fire from spreading between the two burning areas; however, the perimeter of the fire has not yet been fully contained.
Speaking from the advanced command center in the municipality of Navalcarnero west of Madrid, S. Aagesen described the wildfire situation as “complex,” noting that emergency services are operating on several fronts simultaneously. She warned that new evacuations could be announced if necessary, and evacuated residents will be allowed to return home only once the situation is deemed safe. –0–
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