On Monday evening, a large fire broke out in Tres Cantos, a suburb of Madrid, resulting in the death of one person and the evacuation of more than 180 residents from several apartment complexes. The flames spread across a vast area, destroying over 1,500 hectares of vegetation and damaging four homes.
The victim was a man around 50 years old, found by rescuers in one of the apartments in the urbanization Soto de Viñuelas. He suffered severe burns and was airlifted to La Paz hospital, where he died. Another victim, an 83-year-old man, was hospitalized with respiratory problems. Medical services had prepared extra beds in the burn unit in advance, but no new patients were reported.
The fire started closer to the evening, and by 21:25, Madrid authorities had declared a state of emergency under the forest fire protection plan. Strong winds, with gusts reaching 70 km/h, greatly complicated the efforts of firefighters and rescue workers. Preliminary reports indicate that a powerful thunderstorm that day may have sparked the blaze.
Smoke and the smell of burning spread to many areas of Madrid, and residents were advised to keep their windows closed and avoid using air conditioners that draw air from outside. Authorities also asked people to avoid traveling to the Tres Cantos area to prevent interfering with emergency services and evacuation efforts.
Residents of the Soto de Viñuelas, Fuente El Fresno, and Ciudad el Campo urbanizations (the latter belonging to San Sebastián de los Reyes) have been evacuated. Around one hundred people were temporarily housed in two sports complexes prepared by the municipality. They are expected to return home once the situation is fully stabilized and safety checks are completed.
By Tuesday morning, the fire had been localized and brought under control thanks to the coordinated efforts of firefighters, forest brigades, and military units. However, the night was extremely tense for residents of Tres Cantos: many stayed awake, worried about their homes, and some tried to extinguish burning construction containers near their residences themselves.
Specialists are now continuing to douse the perimeter of the fire from both air and ground, closely monitoring weather conditions. Meteorologists warn of possible temperature increases up to 37 degrees and new gusts of wind, which could complicate the final extinguishing of the blaze. Authorities are urging residents to remain cautious and follow official updates.
The fire in Tres Cantos has become one of the most serious incidents in the region in recent times, once again highlighting the risks associated with dry weather and strong winds during the summer.
