Spain wildfires: two Madrid blazes merge, 19,000 evacuated as state of emergency declared

Fires rage west of Madrid

Multiple wildfires broke out west of Madrid on 23 and 24 July, with two major blazes threatening to merge into a single front. The fires of San Martín and Villa del Prado are advancing toward Nava del Rey, according to regional official Francisco Martín. At least 19,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, while authorities ordered others to shelter indoors. Regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the situation as the worst fire in the region's history.

For an area like this, with such a high concentration of homes and population, it is a disaster. We have never seen anything like this.

The Madrid fire has burned 60,000 stremmata so far, and the head of emergency services, Carlos Novillo, said late on 24 July that the blaze was at its peak and impossible to extinguish under current conditions.

At this time, it is obvious that the fire is at its peak, it is impossible to extinguish it.

State of emergency declared

After midnight on 24 July, the Spanish government declared a "state of emergency of national interest" for the Madrid region and the province of Ávila. The measure, announced by the Interior Ministry, allows faster mobilization of resources and places the Military Emergency Unit (UME) in charge of crisis management. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska visited a coordination center in Cenicientos, stating that the primary goal was to prevent the fires from spreading further. Weather conditions, including wind gusts exceeding 50 km/h, low humidity, and high temperatures, have complicated firefighting efforts.

Guadalajara fire stabilizing

Separately, a large wildfire in Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, which has burned 320,000 stremmata since 16 July, is now showing favorable signs. The regional fire service Infocam said on 24 July that the fire is in a stabilization phase, and wind speeds are expected to moderate from 25 July. Regional president Emiliano García-Page announced that residents of 14 previously evacuated communities could return home. The fire, the largest in Spain so far this year, had prompted widespread evacuations in the sparsely populated area.

Political response and next steps

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is scheduled to visit the Madrid fire front on the morning of 25 July, accompanied by Interior Minister Grande-Marlaska. He will tour the community of Cenicientos and attend a coordination meeting. Meanwhile, authorities have not ruled out further evacuations as the fires continue to spread. Emergency alerts were sent to mobile phones in threatened areas, and roadblocks are in place to restrict access to fire zones.