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Record-Breaking Wildfires Devastate Central Spain as French Megafire Nears Bordeaux

The scale of the blazes is straining emergency services, prompting international aerial aid and a government decree expected this week.

Overview

  • The central Spain outbreaks have burned about 77,000 hectares across Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, with the Burgohondo (Ávila) fire at roughly 50,000 hectares and described by officials as the largest in Spain’s records.
  • Officials reported nearly 60,000 people evacuated and about 30,000 confined in affected towns, while Protección Civil estimates a combined fire perimeter near 280 kilometres.
  • French authorities say the Gironde megafire has scorched about 42,000 hectares and forced very large-scale evacuations affecting hundreds of thousands of residents around Bordeaux.
  • A broad response is operating on the ground and by air, including Spain’s Unidad Militar de Emergencias, regional firefighters, Guardia Civil, Protección Civil and international aircraft from Greece, Italy and Portugal.
  • Initial infrastructure checks by NASA found no major structural damage to the Robledo de Chavela antenna complex, but officials warn of lasting ecosystem loss, worse regional air quality and imminent emergency measures from Madrid.