Spain declares national emergency as wildfires force mass evacuations near Madrid

MADRID, SPAIN — Spain has declared a national emergency over a series of fast-moving wildfires near Madrid and appealed for assistance from the European Union, as major blazes continue to burn across southern Europe amid extreme heat, strong winds and prolonged dry conditions.

The emergency was declared after rapidly spreading fires threatened communities in the Madrid region and neighbouring Ávila province, forcing the evacuation of around 11,500 residents from towns including Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Burgohondo on Thursday and Friday.

Spanish authorities requested at least four firefighting aircraft from European partners through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to reinforce domestic firefighting efforts. According to Spanish media reports, Greece accepted the request and pledged to send two Canadair CL-415 amphibious firefighting aircraft.

Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso urged Spain's central government to activate Operational Situation Level 3, the country's highest emergency classification for wildfires. The level is declared when fires pose a direct threat to people and property, placing overall coordination of emergency operations under the national government.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska had already declared a national emergency for the provinces of Madrid and Ávila on Thursday night.

Thousands of Firefighters Deployed

More than 270 firefighters, including personnel from Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), have been deployed alongside around 40 ground vehicles to battle the fires. Strong winds and exceptionally low humidity have complicated containment efforts.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation as dramatic in a message posted on X on Friday.

"We are living through a dramatic situation, not only in various Spanish provinces but also in regions of neighbouring countries," Sánchez wrote.

"Forest fires are ravaging thousands of hectares and affecting numerous communities."

He also expressed solidarity with residents whose homes and forests were under threat from the advancing fires.

One of the largest fires is burning between Almorox, in Toledo province, and Villa del Prado, southwest of Madrid, where authorities have issued evacuation and confinement orders as flames spread rapidly towards residential areas.

Emergency services deployed at least 88 firefighters, 35 emergency vehicles and a helicopter to tackle the blaze. Spain's Guardia Civil released footage showing officers evacuating residents door-to-door, helping elderly people to safety and checking homes to ensure nobody had been left behind.

Authorities said around 30 homes had been damaged in the affected area. Several roads, including the N-403 and M-507, remain closed, while the Military Emergency Unit has joined operations.

Wildfires Burning Across Spain

The Madrid-area fires are part of a wider wildfire crisis affecting several regions of Spain.

Emergency crews continue battling major fires in Guadalajara, León and Huelva in the southern region of Andalusia.

In Huelva province, authorities evacuated 384 residents from Villanueva de las Cruces after shifting winds intensified the El Cerro de Andévalo wildfire.

Andalusian regional emergency minister Antonio Sanz said changing wind conditions had complicated firefighting operations, although residents had been safely evacuated to temporary accommodation in Calañas.

The fire has burned more than 1,200 hectares, with 13 aircraft, more than 120 forest firefighters, heavy machinery and emergency medical teams deployed. Medical personnel treated several residents for smoke inhalation and evacuated a bedridden resident from the affected area.

Meanwhile, another major wildfire in Guadalajara province, north-east of Madrid, has become Spain's largest fire this year.

The blaze has burned approximately 32,000 hectares (320 square kilometres), making it the country's second-largest wildfire on record. Hundreds of residents have been evacuated from 34 communities, while around 200 firefighters continue efforts to contain the fire.

Spain's Wildfire Season Worsens

According to the European Union's Copernicus fire monitoring system, more than 130,000 hectares (1,300 square kilometres) have already burned in Spain this year, more than two and a half times the country's average over the past two decades.

Copernicus data shows Spain has recorded 355 wildfires so far in 2026, 25 more than during the same period last year, which became the country's worst wildfire season on record after nearly 400,000 hectares (4,000 square kilometres) burned by the end of the year.

More than 20 fires this year have already been classified as "major" incidents, each burning at least 500 hectares.

Earlier this month, a wildfire in Almería province killed 13 people, including 12 foreign residents, among them seven British nationals, while forcing more than 1,500 people to evacuate.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the Guadalajara fire zone earlier this week as firefighters continued battling the blaze, urging political leaders to unite in addressing climate change.

"Year after year we clearly see how climate change kills and destroys wealth in our communities," he said.

"This is not politics. It is science. It is about facts."

Wildfires Continue Across Southern Europe

The escalating wildfire crisis extends beyond Spain, with major blazes continuing in France and Italy.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), around 254,388 hectares have burned across the European Union so far this year. The figure is above the long-term average for this point in the season, although lower than the 270,449 hectares recorded during the same period in 2025.

France Mourns Firefighters Killed in Line of Duty

France has been battling several major wildfires, including a large blaze in the Gironde department that forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people after flames spread from Saumos towards Le Porge and Lège-Cap-Ferret, a popular Atlantic coastal holiday destination.

The fire had burned more than 2,000 hectares by Thursday morning, with around 500 firefighters supported by aircraft attempting to contain the blaze.

Captain Wilfried Schneider described the fire as being of "rare" intensity due to the dense pine forests characteristic of the Landes de Gascogne region.

Authorities said no civilian casualties had been reported, while the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez also paid tribute after two firefighters were killed while battling a separate wildfire in the Mérignac suburb of Bordeaux earlier this week.

France has recorded more than 12,500 wildfires this year, destroying approximately 44,000 hectares, already exceeding the area burned during the severe 2022 wildfire season over the same period.

Firefighter Dies During Sicily Operations

In Italy, authorities have deployed approximately 6,000 emergency responders, including firefighters, forestry officers and civil protection personnel, to combat widespread fires, particularly across Sicily.

About 300 of the island's 344 reported fires had been extinguished by Wednesday, although major blazes remained active in several locations, including Casaboli, Bivona, Alimena, San Cataldo, Galati Mamertino, parts of Madonie Park and the Syracuse area.

Italian firefighter Alessandro Marchì, 59, died while responding to a wildfire near San Cataldo after suffering a medical emergency during firefighting operations.

More than 100 residents were also evacuated from Santo Stefano di Quisquina, near Agrigento, after strong sirocco winds drove flames towards the town.

Wildfires have also affected parts of Calabria, Molise, Sardinia, Puglia, Umbria and Tuscany, with authorities across southern Europe remaining on high alert as hot, dry weather continues to fuel fire activity.