Wildfires have scorched 125,937 hectares across Spain this year, five times the area lost by the same date in 2025, Environment Minister Sara Aagesen warned, after a national emergency was declared July 24 for blazes west of Madrid. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska extended the emergency declaration to Madrid and Ávila on July 23, as 32 major fires have erupted nationwide in 2026.
Evacuations have surged, with around 40,000 people displaced in the Madrid region and seven Ávila villages ordered out on July 25, including Sotillo de La Adrada, the ancestral hometown of regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Authorities sent ES-Alert warnings to mobile phones in affected zones as the Burgohondo fire, whipped by winds, pushed toward El Casar de Escalona.
Meteorologist Francisco Martín said the night of July 25–26 offered a workable window for crews tackling the Madrid fire's eastern and western flanks, though stronger overnight winds limited gains. Conditions were expected to improve by Sunday morning.