Wildfire near Madrid burns 13,000 hectares, 20 villages evacuated as Spain's fire season intensifies

Fire near Madrid out of control

A large wildfire burning northeast of Madrid has already consumed around 13,000 hectares, an area equivalent to more than 18,000 football pitches. The blaze, located near Guadalajara, is not under control and advanced 14 kilometres overnight from Saturday to Sunday, according to state broadcaster RTVE. More than 500 firefighters and ground personnel are cutting firebreaks to contain the flames, supported by 25 water-dropping aircraft and the Military Emergency Unit (UME). Regional environment minister Mercedes Gómez said the efforts have so far kept the fire away from populated areas.

We have managed to keep the fire away from towns.

As a precaution, authorities evacuated 20 municipalities with a combined population of about 800 residents. The fire is being driven by drought conditions and very low humidity, which have pushed the wildfire risk to extreme levels across much of Spain.

Aragon blaze contained

Meanwhile, a separate large wildfire in the northeastern region of Aragon has been largely brought under control. The fire broke out on Thursday near the village of Orés and went on to destroy roughly 14,400 hectares. Regional president Jorge Azcón confirmed the containment and the scale of the damage.

Around 14,400 hectares were destroyed.

More than 1,100 people were temporarily evacuated from their homes, and over 400 emergency personnel, along with numerous helicopters and planes, were deployed to fight the flames. The containment of the Aragon fire offers a rare piece of good news amid a relentless fire season.

A devastating season

Spain has now seen more than 80,000 hectares of land destroyed by large wildfires since the start of 2026, according to data from the European Commission's Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). That figure is almost double the area burned during the same period last year. In 2025, the worst fires did not arrive until August, when the cumulative burned area surged from around 47,000 hectares at the end of July to 380,000 hectares within a few days.

The human toll is also mounting. Last week, a wildfire in the southern region of Andalusia killed 13 people, most of them elderly foreign residents in Almería province. The victims included seven Britons and three Belgians. Spain, neighbouring Portugal, and other European countries have been hit by a series of wildfires in recent weeks.

Climate link

The current extreme fire danger is linked to prolonged drought and low atmospheric humidity. Climate change is increasing the likelihood of such fires in the Mediterranean basin by extending periods of heat and dryness. The EFFIS data and the rapid spread of the Guadalajara fire illustrate how quickly conditions can escalate when vegetation is parched and winds pick up.