Rapidly spreading forest fires in Spain's Madrid region and Ávila province have triggered one of the largest civil protection operations in recent years. The flames have already turned around 25,000 hectares to ash.
According to El País newspaper, around 80,000 people across the two areas have been evacuated or told to stay indoors. Authorities expanded evacuation and containment measures as fire crews battled the flames.
The emergency escalated on Saturday with an evacuation order for the Madrid town of Cenicientos. As the fire advanced toward the town, the forward command post was relocated to Navalcarnero.
Visiting the fire-threatened zones, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stressed that the government's priority was saving lives. "Our priority is to save your lives and protect residential areas," Sánchez said, warning that the emergency was unpredictable. "Although temperatures have dropped, we do not know exactly how the wind will develop or how strong it will be. Difficult hours lie ahead."
Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso struck a similar tone, noting that changing weather conditions could significantly hamper firefighting efforts. Ayuso said work to protect vulnerable groups, including the elderly and people with disabilities, was ongoing, and that essential public services had not been disrupted.
Health authorities issued separate warnings about deteriorating air quality due to wildfire smoke. People in affected areas were advised to limit time spent outdoors. Officials reported that concentrations of fine particulate matter exceeded levels recommended by the World Health Organization, and that anyone experiencing breathing difficulties should seek medical help.
While favorable conditions overnight helped crews slow the advance on some fire fronts, Madrid's government delegation warned on Saturday that stronger and more erratic winds forecast for the day could rapidly change the situation.
The wildfire crisis is affecting southwestern Europe as well as Spain. According to Agence France‑Presse, around 98,000 hectares have burned in France this year. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the figure a "historic record."
French officials said major fires continued near Bordeaux and in the Gironde and Landes regions, with around 197,000 people evacuated. An additional 500 soldiers were deployed to support firefighting, bringing the number of military personnel to 1,000. Moreover, 100 Paris firefighters and an A400M military aircraft capable of dropping up to 20 tonnes of fire retardant were sent to the area.
According to AFP, more than 250,000 people have had to be evacuated because of the fires in Spain and France combined.
The fires have also affected critical infrastructure. One of NASA's deep‑space communication facilities in Spain was temporarily evacuated.
Officials said that weather conditions in the coming hours would determine whether firefighting gains could be preserved or whether the flames would reignite, requiring additional evacuations.
