Wildfire in Cáceres burns 1,600 hectares and forces 700 evacuations
A wildfire in the Las Hurdes region of Cáceres burned 1,600 hectares of pine forest, prompting the evacuation of 700 residents across ten hamlets and mobilizing 200 emergency personnel.
Outbreak and rapid escalation
A wildfire broke out at 14:50 on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, in the municipality of Pinofranqueado, located in the Las Hurdes district of Cáceres. The blaze originated near the hamlet of Robledo and advanced quickly through dense pine terrain, prompting officials to raise warning levels within minutes. Regional emergency authorities activated Level 1 under Plan Infoex at 14:54 due to the fire approaching populated zones and rural properties. Abel Bautista, the regional vice president and counselor for the interior and emergencies, declared operational situation 1 under the Infocaex civil protection framework at 15:30. Continued expansion forced authorities to escalate the emergency to operational situation 2 by 16:30 on Tuesday afternoon.
- Wildfire ignites in the municipality of Pinofranqueado
- Plan Infoex declares level 1 danger due to threat to non-forest assets
- Operational situation 1 declared under Infocaex as Avellanar begins evacuation
- Infocaex escalates to operational situation 2 across the district
- Junta de Extremadura confirms 1,600 hectares burned and 700 people evacuated
Evacuations across Las Hurdes
The advancing flames led to widespread evacuations across the mountainous territory. Civil protection agencies dispatched emergency warnings through the Es-Alert mobile notification system, instructing residents to leave their homes immediately. Around 700 residents were evacuated from ten separate hamlets, including Horcajo, Avellanar, Erías, Castillo, El Gasco, Martilandrán, Aldehuela, La Fragosa, Robledo, and Cerezal. Regional authorities mobilized buses to collect residents without personal transportation and directed evacuees to the Gregorio Marañón student residence in Caminomorisco. In addition, emergency teams evacuated El Cottolengo, a specialized charity facility supporting individuals with severe disabilities. All 34 residents from the care center were transferred to the Centro Sociosanitario in Plasencia and the Hermanitas de los Pobres facility.
Overnight firefighting operations
By Wednesday morning, 19 August 2026, the wildfire had consumed an estimated 1,600 hectares of pine forest. Firefighters faced severe obstacles on Tuesday afternoon when the fire generated a large smoke column and a pyrocumulus cloud amid steep slopes. Conditions improved overnight as winds moderated and ambient temperatures dropped across the region. A nighttime workforce of 150 ground personnel succeeded in containing open fronts across difficult terrain. Emergency officials indicated that additional evacuations toward the municipalities of Casares or Nuñomoral were ruled out, provided shifting wind patterns do not push flames in those directions. A further decline in daytime temperatures on Wednesday is expected to support containment and stabilization efforts.
Multi-agency coordination and resources
Emergency management operations expanded to include around 200 personnel and 26 aerial assets by Wednesday morning. Specialized teams deployed to the scene include Extremadura's Infoex service, units from the Military Emergencies Unit dispatched from Torrejón de Ardoz, and personnel from the Ministry for the Ecological Transition. They operate alongside SEPEI firefighters from the Cáceres Provincial Council, the Guardia Civil, and regional reinforcements from Castilla y León's INFOCYL service. Ground operations utilize 13 forest firefighting units, 4 heavy machinery units, 4 environmental agents, and 5 extinction technicians. The regional government established an Advanced Command Post at the APIHURDES Cooperative facility in Pinofranqueado to direct ground and air maneuvers. Emergency directors urged citizens to avoid blocking emergency roads and prohibited private drone flights over the sector.
