Much of this country is at ‘very high or extreme’ risk of wildfires due to temperatures reaching up to 42 degrees Celsius.
On Thursday, Spanish President Pedro Sanchez announced the end of the national emergency declared over wildfires in the province of Avila and the Madrid region, as fires in the two areas have largely stabilized, while blazes remain active elsewhere amid a new heatwave and strong winds.
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Speaking at an emergency command center in Navaluenga, Avila, Sanchez said the decision followed consultations with regional authorities and technical teams. Management of the emergency will now return to regional governments under a lower, Level 2 operational status.
The Burgohondo fire in Avila has burned more than 50,000 hectares and is considered the largest wildfire ever recorded in Spain. The blaze has been technically stabilized, and residents who had been evacuated have been allowed to return home.
In Madrid’s western mountain areas, around 28,000 hectares have been affected. Firefighters are continuing to put out hotspots and monitor areas vulnerable to renewed outbreaks, while seven residential developments remain under evacuation orders.
Spain is currently facing its fourth heatwave of the summer. Extreme temperatures, low humidity and strong winds are complicating firefighting operations and raising the risk of flare-ups. Although the national emergency in Avila and Madrid has been lifted, Spain’s broader wildfire crisis remains ongoing.
Firefighters across France and Spain are battling fast moving wildfires as more than 320,000 people evacuate or prepare to leave their homes.
The fires are hitting tourism and local economies, with scientists warning that climate change is making wildfire seasons more severe. pic.twitter.com/n4XUkiA6bV
— Ticker (@tickercotweets) July 28, 2026
Nine Active Wildfires in Castile and Leon
In the midst of a heatwave, much of Spain is at “very high or extreme” risk of wildfires due to temperatures reaching up to 42 degrees Celsius and exceeding 40 degrees in the valleys of the Ebro, Tagus, Guadiana, and Guadalquivir rivers.
Eight fires remain active in the Castile and Leon region. Five extremely dangerous fires continue to burn in the provinces of Zamora and Leon, while smoke from some of them has already reached the regional capital, Valladolid.
The fire in Fermoselle (Zamora) forced the evacuation of 14 towns with more than a thousand residents and the confinement of 1,500 people in two others, while those displaced from Avila have already been able to return to their homes. The 312 people displaced by the San Cipriano del Condado (Leon) fire were also able to return home after the blaze improved overnight.
In the province of Castellon, firefighting teams managed to contain the Vall d’Uixo fire within an 84-kilometer perimeter, but it remains uncontrolled after burning 9,300 hectares of forest, despite extensive efforts. Fourteen municipalities in this province remain evacuated.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: Xinhua – EFE
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