Spain Wildfires: 77,000 Hectares Burned, 90,000 Evacuated as Heatwave Looms

Firefighters in central Spain are racing against time before a new heatwave arrives Wednesday. The blaze in the Sierra Oeste of Madrid forced the evacuation of Valdemaqueda, a town that was previously under lockdown. The most critical area is north of the San Juan reservoir, where officials fear the fire is moving northward. Crews are also fighting re-ignited flames in the southern front near Cadalso de los Vidrios and Villa del Prado to protect homes. In Ávila, strong winds are the main challenge. Firefighters are focused on two sensitive points: the area around the Mijares mountain pass and the town of Casillas, where the fire remains active. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned that Monday and Tuesday are "very important" days. He said conditions will turn "really negative" starting Wednesday as temperatures rise. "We have control over the emergency and the resources, but we are moving slowly because the weather is not helping us at all," he stated. The national emergency declared for Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo now covers approximately 77,000 hectares of burned land. Authorities have evacuated or confined 90,949 people, making this the worst forest disaster in Spain's history. A separate fire in Castellón over the weekend has destroyed another 10,000 hectares. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the situation on Monday as part of "increasingly difficult and deadly summers." He called the climate emergency a "national priority" during a speech on climate shelters.