Spain in flames: almost 120,000 hectares devastated and active fires in Guadalajara, Ávila, León, Zamora and Huelva

Spain faces one of the toughest summers in recent years in terms of forest fires. The burned area in 2026 already borders 120,000 hectares, a figure that exceeds that recorded during the same period last year. According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), the flames have devastated 119,458 hectares, more than three times the 35,270 counted at this point in 2025.

The most devastating fire continues to be the one declared in La Mierla (Guadalajara), which has ravaged around 32,000 hectares. Although its evolution is favorable and it is in a stabilization phase, emergency services maintain a wide deployment in the area. The improvement of the situation has allowed the lifting of part of the evacuations decreed in the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara and the progressive return of numerous residents to their homes.

The fire in Almorox (Toledo), which spread to the Community of Madrid, is also evolving positively. Most of the evacuated people have already been able to return to their homes, although restrictions persist in some areas and traffic cuts continue on several roads affected by the advance of the fire. Added to this is the stabilization of the fire in Selas (Guadalajara) and the return to normality in other towns affected by the smoke.

In Castilla y León, the flames continue to generate concern. The fire in Burgohondo (Ávila) remains active and has forced the mobilization of personnel from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) due to the risk to inhabited areas. Likewise, the fire declared in Castropodame (León) has caused preventive evacuations in several municipalities, while in Rábano de Aliste (Zamora) the confinement of the population has been decreed to guarantee the safety of residents.

The situation shows a more favorable evolution in other parts of the country. The fires in Brieva (Segovia), with more than 3,000 affected hectares, and in Ejulve (Teruel), which has burned some 1,400 hectares, have allowed the return of evacuees and the reduction of emergency levels. In Andalusia, however, the fire in El Cerro de Andévalo (Huelva) is a concern, where the combination of eucalyptus, holm oaks and scrub is facilitating the spread of the flames in an area of great ecological value.

The magnitude of this year's fire campaign once again highlights the need to strengthen prevention policies throughout the twelve months of the year. Experts insist that forest clearing, sustainable forest management, early surveillance, and citizen awareness are tools as important as extinction resources. In a context marked by rising temperatures and extreme weather events, the fight against fires cannot be limited to the summer months, but must become a permanent priority to protect natural heritage and the populations that coexist with it.