Mass Evacuation as Wildfire Consumes 13,000 Hectares Near Madrid

Firefighters are battling a wildfire north of Madrid that has burned approximately 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres) and forced the evacuation of around 700 residents, according to authorities. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez highlighted the situation on X, praising the firefighters “working tirelessly” to protect lives and bring the blaze under control.
About 300 firefighters, supported by 26 aircraft deploying water drops, are engaged in containment efforts. The fire ignited on Thursday in the Guadalajara province amid extreme heat, and regional government head Emiliano García‑Page described the situation as “difficult.”
The blaze is spreading through a forested, mountainous area that includes the Sierra Norte Natural Park, home to endangered species such as eagles, wolves, and butterflies.
This incident follows another fire that started on Wednesday near Zaragoza in the Aragon region, which prompted the evacuation of roughly 1,000 people. Emergency officials expect to determine when residents of the five evacuated villages can safely return home.
The fire has burned around 14,400 hectares, a revision of an earlier estimate of 16,000 hectares, and no casualties have been reported.
Earlier this month, Spain experienced one of its deadliest wildfires in recent years when a blaze in Almería’s province claimed 13 lives and destroyed roughly 7,000 hectares.
Spain is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, experiencing longer and more frequent heatwaves with temperatures frequently exceeding 40 °C, conditions that foster severe wildfires.
Scientists attribute the heightened risk to human‑driven climate change, which extends heatwave duration, intensifies temperatures, dries vegetation, and raises the likelihood of wildfires.

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