The Sierra Oeste fire forces the evacuation of Valdemaqueda and Madrid has 48 hours to stop the fire

The advance of the Sierra Oeste fire has forced the evacuation of Valdemaqueda this Monday, a town of about 870 inhabitants that had been confined since Friday. The fire remains active and unstabilized after burning approximately 28,000 hectares within the Community of Madrid, where the next 48 hours will be decisive before a new heat wave worsens conditions again.

The latest update from the Community of Madrid maintains 13 municipalities and towns evacuated, in addition to the El Encinar del Alberche urbanization, while San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Pelayos de la Presa, and Villa del Prado remain confined. More than 55,000 people are affected by these measures and around 2,500 remain in the 18 enabled reception points.

The three fires that started in Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, and Almorox ended up merging on Friday into a single large fire. The emergency of national interest keeps the Ministry of Interior in charge of the response and the head of the UME as responsible for coordinating the common operational command deployed in Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo.

The fire advances through the surroundings of the Cofio river

The greatest difficulty within the region is now in the surroundings of the Cofio river, very close to Valdemaqueda. The riverbed crosses an area of abundant vegetation and steep slopes that complicates the access of ground resources and facilitates the advance of the flames towards the north and west.

The Interior Ministry sent an Es-Alert alert to residents' mobile phones at midday to order the complete evacuation of the municipality. The population must leave Valdemaqueda following the routes indicated by emergency services and without attempting to return until receiving express authorization.

Work is also concentrated around the San Juan reservoir, south of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, and in areas near Villa del Prado and Cadalso de los Vidrios. The eastern flank is contained, but the western and northern sectors retain the capacity to reactivate if the wind direction changes.

At 2:40 p.m., 34 ground and air units from the Community Firefighters and Forest Firefighters, along with 40 forest agents, remained deployed. The operation attempts to reinforce control lines and cool burned areas to prevent embers from creating new outbreaks outside the perimeter.

Madrid faces 48 decisive hours

The Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, has asked to "moderate optimism" despite the reduction in the advance during the early morning. The teams have this Monday and Tuesday to try to control the most complicated fronts before the increase in temperatures and the decrease in humidity expected from Wednesday.

"We have to win the battle in these hours that are absolutely key," Martín warned. The delegate acknowledged that it is a fire of unknown intensity and volume, capable of overcoming defense lines and generating outbreaks several kilometers away by the displacement of embers.

Mobility restrictions will remain in force as long as the risk persists. Martín explained that some residents are trying to access the evacuated areas to check the status of their homes or attend to their animals and has asked them to respect the orders. Unauthorized entry can endanger both residents and the personnel working on extinction.

The reopening of the El Escorial campsite, the return of residents from a senior center in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, and the controlled access of some ranchers are the first exceptions. Each measure is adopted individually, after reviewing the roads, the presence of smoke, and the possibility of new outbreaks appearing.

Ayuso speaks of a "demonic" situation

Isabel Díaz Ayuso has described the evolution of the fire as a "demonic situation" due to the pressure that the flames from Ávila are again exerting on the area around the San Juan reservoir. The regional president also pointed to the Cofio river, Valdemaqueda, Robledo de Chavela, and the southern area of the region among the main points of concern.

The regional Government has announced an urgent housing plan endowed with 30 million euros. Families who have lost their habitual residence will be able to access temporary accommodation, aid of up to 100% of the rent for one year, and support to repair or reconstruct damaged properties.

The provisional balance shows close to fifty destroyed homes. The Community has also announced guarantees for companies and self-employed individuals, free legal assistance, and the distribution of 300 tons of fodder for livestock farms that have lost their pastures.

Toledo maintains eleven evacuated municipalities

The evolution is somewhat more favorable in the Toledo area. Infocam considers the perimeter of the Almorox, Sierra Oeste, and Burgohondo fires within Castilla-La Mancha stabilized, although eleven municipalities remain evacuated and all resources remain at the disposal of the integrated command.

The front located between La Iglesuela del Tiétar and La Adrada is about 200 meters from being completely consolidated and perimetered. Technicians insist that this means the fire is contained within a defense line, but it can still maintain hot spots and cannot be considered controlled.

The Government of Castilla-La Mancha has requested the UME to study the return of residents from eight localities in the Sierra de San Vicente. The three municipalities in the Tiétar Valley must remain evacuated due to their proximity to active fronts. The operational command will authorize each rehousing when the roads, homes, and perimeter allow for a safe return.