Overview
- More than 60,000 people have been evacuated or ordered to stay confined after large fires broke out in the Comunidad de Madrid and the province of Ávila, forcing mass sheltering and road closures.
- The government declared a national emergency late Thursday and placed operations under the Unidad Militar de Emergencias to unify command and free regional fire crews for frontline work.
- The European Commission mobilized four Canadair water-bombers from Greece and Italy and other member states have offered aircraft to boost aerial suppression.
- Authorities say a temporary drop in wind and temperature created a 'window of opportunity' to attack flanks by ground crews, but large active fronts, spot fires and risk of re‑ignition keep the situation dangerous.
- Police have detained one person and are investigating another over the Ávila blaze for alleged heavy‑machinery negligence, while officials warn this season has already burned well over 114,000 hectares nationwide and is straining shelters, relief services and local economies.