The central government activated level 3 national emergency for forest fires affecting southwest Madrid and eastern Ávila, where three fires merged into an eight-kilometer front that has burned thousands of hectares and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.
The fires, declared Thursday in Burgohondo, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Almorox, merged Friday driven by winds up to 60 kilometers per hour and temperatures above 40 degrees. Authorities describe the situation as beyond extinction capacity and requested EU help, which sent four amphibious planes from Italy and Greece.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid, noted from the command post in Cenicientos that "one fire called another". Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned of a "critical day" and took charge of operations after the national emergency activation.
Thousands of people were evacuated to sports centers in Villamanta and Cebreros, while firefighters like Ángel Malanda battled flames with his own family evacuated. "It seems like an apocalyptic movie, you mentally collapse", he recounted. The Civil Guard detained one person for using prohibited heavy machinery in Burgohondo.
The operation includes over 1,800 government personnel, the UME and regional reinforcements, although political criticism persists between Ayuso and Minister Óscar Puente over management and available resources.
