After five days of forced evacuation, more than a thousand residents from five villages in Zaragoza and one in Navarra have started returning home as the wildfire that swept through Orés is brought under control. Authorities gave the green light on Monday after confirming that the fire had been stabilized. It devastated 14,400 hectares within an 80-kilometre perimeter. Returns are being managed in stages, prioritizing villages where water and electricity have been restored, along with other impressive services.
Luesia and Uncastillo were first to welcome back their inhabitants; Malpica de Arba followed. Asín and Orés had to wait until safety checks on fire-damaged roads were complete. Social workers and the Red Cross are coordinating the process, especially for elderly residents relocated from four care homes to Zaragoza. Their return depends on health assessments and the condition of their facilities. Some, like the Asín residence, suffered direct fire damage.
The emotional toll is evident among those returning. Many describe the anxiety of evacuation and the uncertainty of leaving their homes behind. Some, like María Luisa from Luesia, faced difficult decisions when alerts arrived while family members were still at work. Others, including Antonio from Orés, admit they were reluctant to leave until authorities insisted. Psychologists and social workers are providing immediate assistance while assessing longer-term needs.
Local leaders are voicing concern about the future. Paco Auría, mayor of Orés, points to the challenges facing small agricultural communities as they confront the loss of their natural environment and hunting grounds. He calls for expert input to help lawmakers develop measures to prevent similar disasters, noting that a single spark from a harvester can force entire villages to evacuate. Teresa Ladrero, mayor of Ejea de los Caballeros, is also calling for a new approach to land management to reduce wildfire risks.
For many, the practical challenges of returning are immediate. In Uncastillo, business owners worry about food stocks spoiled after days without power. Farmers helped fight the fire by creating firebreaks and using their tractors to defend urban areas. They are relieved, but exhausted. The wildfire also prompted a wave of solidarity: residents like Ana Cristina Diez offered shelter to displaced animals, while volunteers quickly responded to care for horses and dogs.
Restoring normality will take time. The psychological impact is impressive, especially for teenagers who feel a strong connection to the local field. Emergency psychologists report that young people have struggled most with seeing their forests destroyed. The government of Aragón has restricted access to affected areas, allowing returning residents and authorized workers, including emergency crews and utility staff. It has urged people to remain within their villages while safety operations continue.
The fire’s footprint extended across six municipal areas in Zaragoza’s Cinco Villas region: Orés, Asín, Ejea de los Caballeros, Luesia, Biota, and Uncastillo. At a later meeting with affected local authorities, Zaragoza provincial environmental director Ignacio Pérez-Soba and forest engineer Carlos Cacho, head of the Forest Management Unit, said hot, dry conditions and frequent, unexpected wind shifts made suppression difficult. The burned slopes and ravines also face erosion and vegetation-loss risks. Recovery will require stabilizing the land as well as clearing fire-damaged material.
By October 22, urgent restoration work was under way in the affected Cinco Villas area. Crews were placing small barriers in ravines and gullies and laying fascines on slopes. They were also spreading straw over exposed soil, while shredding timber within the burned area. The provincial environmental service and forest-management officials are basing restoration decisions on terrain, including slope and soil characteristics, as well as natural regeneration capacity, erosion risk, and access to the land, as reported by El Periódico de Aragón. The aim is to limit soil loss and help vegetation recover.
The economic effects are continuing beyond the evacuation. Aragón Government figures recorded 18 business-aid applications linked to the Orés-Cinco Villas fire zone, seeking €80,397.90, of which €74,670.78 was initially considered eligible. Across the Orés and Las Peñas de Riglos fire zones, 42 of the 44 applications received came from the two affected areas. The regional program had initially earmarked €3 million for small businesses and self-employed workers, with a maximum eligible amount of €250,000 per applicant. Heraldo de Aragón reported that applications represented 8.3% of the initial budget and that the government said it would review and increase the aid if necessary.
Compensation for damage and losses caused by the summer 2026 fires is also subject to formal state-aid oversight. The National Commission on Markets and Competition lists the Aragón Government as grantor in file AE/CNMC/054/26, linked to state-aid reference SA.125095. The proceeding concerns repair of damage and compensation for losses caused by the wildfires, placing recovery measures within Spain’s regulatory structure.
This wildfire is part of a broader pattern of severe fires affecting Spain in recent years. In a related incident, another major blaze in Orés previously forced evacuations and destroyed thousands of hectares, highlighting the ongoing vulnerability of rural communities to extreme weather and agricultural accidents. As Aragón faces a new heatwave, authorities remain on alert for further risks.
Wildfires have become a recurring threat in Spain, particularly in regions with extensive agricultural activity and dry summer conditions. Hot, windy weather and human activity increase the likelihood of such incidents. Local governments are under pressure to strengthen prevention and emergency response while supporting affected communities through recovery. The events in Orés show the need for coordinated action and long-term planning to protect people and the environment.
