Spain Declares First National Wildfire Emergency as More Than 200,000 Evacuate Across Spain and France

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 – Spain declared a national wildfire emergency on Friday, July 24, 2026, as multiple uncontrolled fires threatened communities around Madrid and the neighbouring province of Ávila.

The emergency marked the first time the Spanish government had activated a nationwide wildfire response. Authorities said approximately 60,000 people were evacuated from towns west of Madrid, while another 20,000 residents were instructed to remain inside their homes as firefighters attempted to contain the advancing flames.

The crisis formed part of a wider wildfire emergency affecting Spain and southwestern France. Around 200,000 people were forced to leave their homes across the two countries, including approximately 141,000 residents in France’s Gironde and Landes departments. Some residents along France’s Atlantic coast reportedly escaped by boat as fire approached tourist areas.

Firefighters said the blazes were spreading with unusual speed and intensity, making direct attacks on the flames extremely difficult. High temperatures, dry vegetation and shifting winds contributed to the rapid expansion of the fires.

Two major fires near Madrid merged into a single blaze that had already burned approximately 30 square kilometres by Friday afternoon. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as the most severe wildfire in the region’s history.

Emergency teams prioritised protecting San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a town northwest of Madrid that is home to the historic Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, including its 16th-century palace and monastery.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed support for the thousands of families facing displacement and uncertainty. He was expected to visit the affected areas on Saturday as firefighters continued working through the night.

Conditions were worsened by a heatwave, with temperatures forecast to exceed 39 degrees Celsius. Authorities warned that persistent heat and strong winds could cause the fires to spread further or ignite new outbreaks.

In Ávila province, a major wildfire burned approximately 90 square kilometres. Spain’s Civil Guard arrested one person and began investigating another over the suspected use of heavy machinery in an area where such activity had been prohibited because of the high fire risk. Investigators believed a spark from the machinery may have started the fire.

Spain also continued battling another major fire in Guadalajara province, Castilla-La Mancha, which had destroyed around 320 square kilometres. The blaze was described as the second-largest wildfire recorded in the country.

The latest emergencies followed a deadly fire in southern Spain earlier in July that killed 13 people. Authorities said Spain had experienced record-breaking fires in both Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha within a single week.

Spanish Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen said approximately 1,140 square kilometres of land had already burned across Spain in 2026. That figure was more than five times the area recorded during the first half of 2025.

Spain deployed around 1,000 soldiers to support firefighting operations. Italy and Greece also agreed to send two Canadair water-bombing aircraft each as part of the European emergency response.

France also activated its national crisis response system as fires threatened communities near Bordeaux. French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the armed forces to support civilian emergency services, while additional firefighting aircraft and helicopters were expected from Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Although dozens of firefighters were reportedly injured in France, authorities had not announced any deaths from the latest fires in either country at the time of reporting.