Spain is facing its most extensive evacuation of the century as wildfires continue to devastate Ávila, Madrid, Toledo, and Castellón. More than 73,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes, and nearly 171,000 people are affected by evacuations and mandatory confinement. The Ministry of the Interior took command after the government declared an emergency situation in Madrid and Ávila on 24 July, as fires threatened multiple autonomous communities. Spain’s emergency authorities also activated operational level 3, the national-interest emergency classification, for the first time in response to forest fires.
The crisis began on 22 July, when sparks from heavy machinery allegedly ignited a fire near Burgohondo, Ávila, information from the Guardia Civil account reported by Reuters. Strong winds drove the flames across basic Spain. By 26 July, the Burgohondo fire had merged with blazes near Almorox, Toledo, and San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Madrid. The combined fires came within 35 kilometres of Madrid, a threat to the capital that officials described as unprecedented in scale. The fires reached populated areas as well as forest, complicating evacuations and putting homes, businesses, farms, and public facilities at risk.
The scale of the displacement is unprecedented in recent Spanish history. The number of evacuees now exceeds the populations of entire provincial capitals such as Palencia or Ciudad Real. For comparison, the 2011 Lorca earthquake led to 30,000 people spending the night outside their homes, but only a third were officially evacuated. The La Palma volcano eruption displaced 7,800 people. Even the catastrophic Tous dam disaster in 1982, despite unclear figures, may not have matched the current numbers.
Evacuations have been swift and widespread. In La Adrada, Ávila, alarms sounded on mobile phones, prompting authorities to organize buses for elderly and dependent residents and check every house to make sure no one was left behind. In Aldea del Fresno, Madrid, residents received evacuation orders on Thursday evening and, according to the latest reports, had not been allowed to return. Tensions remain high in dozens of municipalities. Madrid accounts for 31,865 evacuees, Ávila 25,087, Toledo 6,200, and Castellón 10,000. Late on Sunday, some Toledo villages were cleared for return, but officials did not specify how many residents had returned. The government’s 24 July emergency measure followed the evacuation of about 11,500 people, including more than 10,000 in Madrid and approximately 1,500 in Ávila. In Ávila, residents were moved from a rural-tourism complex and a residential area in El Tiemblo.
Beyond those evacuated, nearly 98,000 people are confined to their homes: 19,062 in Madrid, 8,735 in Ávila, and 70,000 in Castellón. Fires started in Burgohondo, the western Sierra of Madrid, and Vall d’Uixó, Castellón, reaching populated areas rather than only the sparsely inhabited regions typically hit by wildfires. This has complicated evacuations and increased the number of people at risk. An ecological analysis of the Sierra Oeste fires identified accumulated vegetation and insufficient grazing as factors that increased fuel loads. It reported that more than 29,000 hectares burned in the area and roughly a dozen municipalities were evacuated.
Emergency teams and local authorities are working around the clock, with volunteers also helping. Many residents, exhausted after days in temporary shelters, are anxious about the fate of their homes. In the Valle del Tiétar, Ávila, some tried to return and fight the flames but were stopped by the Guardia Civil, which maintains strict controls at town entrances. Volunteers who stayed behind focused on creating firebreaks to protect urban areas. Fatigue is mounting, and relief rotations are urgently needed. Local governments are coordinating supply deliveries for those on the front lines.
Guardia Civil commanders acknowledge residents’ frustration that they cannot assist everyone who chose to stay behind despite evacuation orders. With resources limited, their priority is protecting those who have left and carrying out evacuation and rescue operations. The crisis has exposed a longstanding problem: too few law enforcement personnel in rural areas, a shortfall that becomes critical during large-scale emergencies.
The latest figures put the area destroyed by the fires at approximately 85,500 hectares: 50,000 in Ávila, where the Burgohondo fire is the largest in the region’s history, 25,000 in Madrid, 2,000 in Toledo, and 8,500 in Castellón. Reuters reported an earlier regional estimate of approximately 63,000 hectares for the basic-Spain fire complex. Later Copernicus-based reporting put the combined Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo fires above 77,000 hectares by late July. The most concerning fronts remain in Mijares and Casillas, Ávila, and the northern area of the San Juan reservoir, Madrid. Conditions improved somewhat in Ávila, but the situation near the reservoir remains volatile. Authorities warn that a new heatwave expected from Wednesday could further complicate firefighting efforts and urge the public to act responsibly.
By 31 July, the Madrid-Ávila fire was described as technically stabilized, restrictions in Castilla y León had been lifted, and four evacuations remained in force in Madrid. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez welcomed what he called a favorable evolution of the fires and very positive coordination by the emergency command. Some restrictions were eased, although localized evacuation orders remained in place.
The July emergency formed part of a much larger national wildfire season. Cruz Roja Española reported that fires in 2026 had affected more than 276,000 hectares and forced approximately 115,000 people to evacuate or remain confined. The organization took part in 71 fires and operated 99 shelters. It provided temporary accommodation, food, and other assistance to 5,890 people who had left their homes. Its response covered Ávila, Madrid, Castellón, Guadalajara, Huesca, Teruel, Toledo, Zaragoza, Huelva, and Segovia. Cruz Roja Española also announced a €2 million recovery plan intended initially to reach more than 1,000 people. Separately, Copernicus-based figures reported by La Cerca put Spain’s burned area at 301,413 hectares through 21 October, 43% of the European Union total.
This emergency follows a series of severe wildfires in Spain in recent years. In August 2024, mass evacuations in Ávila and Madrid also made headlines, with thousands seeking shelter in temporary facilities. For a closer look at how communities coped during those earlier evacuations, see the report on Talavera fairgrounds hosting evacuees from Ávila and Madrid.
Climate factors and demographic shifts have increased Spain’s vulnerability to wildfires. Fires are growing more frequent and intense, putting added pressure on emergency services and exposing gaps in rural infrastructure and preparedness. As the country braces for another heatwave, authorities remain focused on containing the fires and protecting thousands still displaced or confined.
