Madrid faces critical hours with three fires, hundreds evacuated, and the fire near several towns

The west of the Community of Madrid faces a critical afternoon due to the coincidence of three forest fires within a radius of less than 20 kilometers. Villa del Prado has once again been confined, a residence in Aldea del Fresno has been evacuated, and the fire declared in San Martín de Valdeiglesias has forced the evacuation of an urbanization and the activation of massive alerts to the population.

The new outbreaks have been declared when the fire that originated on Wednesday in Almorox, already within the province of Toledo, is still not stabilized. The flames crossed the regional border yesterday, reached Villa del Prado, and forced the evacuation of about 700 residents of El Encinar del Alberche.

The simultaneity of the emergencies is forcing the distribution of ground and air resources in an area hit by wind, dry vegetation, and temperatures that have reached 36 degrees. The UME has joined the operation, and emergency services have asked to avoid any travel to the affected municipalities.

A new fire forces Villa del Prado to be confined

The municipality received a new ES-Alert message this afternoon for its residents to remain inside their homes, with doors and windows closed. The recommendation includes turning off air conditioning systems that introduce outside air due to the presence of smoke and ash.

This fire has been declared in the municipality of Villa del Prado itself and is different from the one that arrived on Wednesday from Almorox. The evolution of the flames has forced the evacuation of the Casa Hogar Aman Picadas Residential Center, located in Aldea del Fresno, whose 78 residents are being transferred to the municipal sports center.

It has also been ordered to leave the area near the Caravan Garden urbanization and head towards the urban center of Aldea del Fresno. 18 units of Firefighters from the Community of Madrid, forest brigades, forest agents, and members of the Military Emergency Unit are working on the device.

The emergency keeps the M-507 cut in the direction of Navalcarnero and the N-403 in the direction of Toledo, at the intersection of both roads. The smoke has reduced visibility and has forced several interurban bus lines to be modified.

Residents have received orders not to go out to observe the fire, avoid using vehicles, and clear roads for emergency services. The municipalities have enabled public facilities to assist evacuated people.

The San Martín fire advances towards Pelayos

Almost at the same time, another forest fire has been declared in San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The fire started after a vehicle caught fire at kilometer 57 of the M-501 and the flames reached the mountain, from where they have advanced along the Las Navas road towards Pelayos de la Presa.

Initially, 16 aerial and ground resources from the Firefighters, forest brigades, and forest agents of the Community of Madrid were mobilized. The south flank has been contained, but the advance of the northern sector has forced the expansion of protection measures.

The López Rumayor nursing home has been confined as a precaution. Residents of the San Ramón and Jaracruz urbanizations initially received instructions to remain in their homes, although Jaracruz was subsequently evacuated due to the proximity of the fire.

Emergencies has also sent an ES-Alert to Pelayos de la Presa. The population, including residents in urbanizations, has received orders to go to the urban center and follow the instructions of the Civil Guard.

The fire has affected traffic on the M-501 and has generated a column of smoke visible from different points in the southwest of the region. The proximity between this focus, that of Villa del Prado, and that of Almorox complicates the movement of resources and increases the risk of the wind opening new fronts.

Almorox remains perimetered but not stabilized

The fire that began on Wednesday in Almorox has so far left about 890 burned hectares, nearly 600 within the Community of Madrid. The perimeter has remained stable overnight, although authorities have not yet declared the fire stabilized due to meteorological conditions and the presence of hot spots.

The rapid advance of the flames forced the evacuation of El Encinar del Alberche yesterday, an extensive urbanization in Villa del Prado. The Civil Guard had to go house by house and remove several residents with reduced mobility when the fire was already very close to the homes.

Most of the people evacuated from Aldea del Fresno were able to return to their homes overnight. The inhabitants of El Encinar del Alberche, however, remain outside the urbanization and about 200 are housed in the Villa del Prado sports center.

An operation composed of firefighters, forest agents, Civil Guard, Local Police, and Civil Protection is inspecting the properties. Initial estimates point to about thirty homes affected by the flames, some of them completely destroyed, although the definitive count remains open.

Despite the seriousness of the emergency, no victims or injuries have been reported so far. Authorities are keeping the urbanization evacuated until they finish reviewing the structures, cooling the area, and removing elements that could pose a danger.

Ayuso promises aid without yet specifying amounts or deadlines

Isabel Díaz Ayuso visited the Advanced Command Post installed in Cenicientos and some of the damaged areas this Thursday. The president announced that the Community of Madrid will grant aid to affected people once the evaluation of homes, plots, and infrastructures is concluded.

Ayuso has compared the future response with the one deployed after the DANA that hit several Madrid municipalities. She has not yet detailed the amounts, requirements, or deadlines for these aids, which will depend on the inventory of damages being prepared by the teams deployed on the ground.

She also warned that the following hours would be "very complicated" due to high temperatures and a wind that has changed the direction of several fronts. The reactivation of the fire and the appearance of two new fires confirmed this risk during the afternoon.

The popular leader attributed part of the problem to the abandonment of the countryside and called for more cleaning, clearing, and attention to farmers and ranchers. The Community has an Annual Prevention and Extinction Plan for 2026, so it will also have to evaluate whether the programmed works and deployed resources have been sufficient on a day with several simultaneous fires.

More than 108,000 hectares burned in Spain

The Madrid emergency is part of a wave of fires that keeps thousands of professionals deployed in different parts of the country. Spain has accumulated around 108,000 hectares burned so far in 2026, four times more than on the same dates last year, according to data provided by the Ministry for Ecological Transition.

The heatwave, the humidity deficit, and sudden wind changes are favoring rapid propagations and reproductions in fires that seemed under control. Teams are also working on large fires in Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Andalusia, and other communities.

The smoke visible from some Madrid municipalities also comes from the Burgohondo fire, in Ávila. This is a different emergency from the three fires directly affecting the territory of the Community of Madrid, although its proximity adds pressure to the entire operation.

The operations will face the night by consolidating perimeters, eliminating hot spots, and reviewing affected homes. The return of evacuees will depend on the evolution of the wind and security inspections, while confinements and traffic restrictions communicated by Emergencias 112 remain in force.