Wildfires continued to rage across central Spain on Sunday, with the blaze in Avila province becoming the largest on record in the country's history after burning around 50,000 hectares, according to authorities, reported Xinhua.
Spain's Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Ecological Transition Sara Aagesen said wildfires affecting the Madrid region and the provinces of Avila and Toledo had burned more than 77,000 hectares in total.
The Madrid region, Avila and Toledo have been the hardest-hit areas, with nearly 100,000 people evacuated or ordered to remain indoors across 46 municipalities. Another wildfire that broke out over the weekend in the eastern province of Castellon has affected more than 16,000 people in 18 municipalities.
Thousands of firefighters, supported by Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), firefighting aircraft and helicopters, continued battling the blazes on Sunday.
Lieutenant General Francisco Javier Marcos Izquierdo, the UME commander, said the fires in Avila and Madrid remained separate as they had only connected along a "very small, discontinuous front" near San Martin de Valdeiglesias. Firefighters believed they had halted the spread of the flames between the two fire zones, although the fire perimeter had yet to be fully secured, he said.
Speaking from the advanced command center in Navalcarnero, west of Madrid, Aagesen described the wildfire situation as "complex," saying emergency crews were operating on multiple fronts. She warned that further evacuations could be ordered if necessary and said evacuated residents would only be allowed to return home once conditions were considered safe.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected areas on Sunday and said that, despite the "extremely complex" challenges facing firefighters, the overall situation was evolving in a positive direction, with parts of the fires already under control.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also visited the disaster zone to receive briefings on the emergency response and express support for affected residents and frontline personnel.
According to Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition, wildfires had burned a total of 172,453 hectares nationwide as of July 24.
Over 220,000 evacuated in southwestern France
Over 220,000 people have been evacuated from the Gironde department in southwestern France as devastating wildfires continue to spread, local prefecture authorities announced Sunday, reported Xinhua.
Late Saturday, Gironde authorities ordered the evacuation of an additional 55,000 residents on the outskirts of Bordeaux. The fires in Gironde have burned at least 42,000 hectares of land so far.
The raging fires have also caused severe transport disruptions. French national railway operator SNCF announced Sunday that rail traffic south of Bordeaux has been suspended until further notice, with services cut toward Arcachon and Morcenx at the request of the prefecture.
About 98,000 hectares of land have been burned by wildfires across France so far in 2026, setting a historical record for the country, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday.
France had requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism as wildfires continued to spread across the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.
- Spain
- France
- Wildfires
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
