Spain declares 211 zones hit by forest‑fire emergencies, launches aid

The Spanish Council of Ministers approved a decree declaring 211 zones across 14 autonomous communities as gravely affected by protection‑civil emergencies, most of them caused by forest fires that occurred between 31 March and 27 July 2026. The declaration activates automatic financial assistance for victims, including compensation for personal and material losses, tax benefits, exemptions in social‑security contributions and support for reconstruction of infrastructure.

The most severely impacted areas include the communities of Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, where a national‑interest emergency was declared on 23 July, the Los Gallardos fire in Almería that caused 13 deaths, and the ongoing fire in Vall d’Uixó (Castellón). The decree also allows a temporary suspension of procedural deadlines in affected judicial districts and extends protection‑civil assistance to municipalities in Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia and other regions.

In parallel, the Junta de Castilla y León extended its fire‑risk alert from 28 to 31 July, prohibiting open fires, barbecues, pyrotechnics and spark‑producing machinery. These measures aim to prevent new ignitions while emergency services continue fighting the existing fires.