La Mierla wildfire in Guadalajara burns over 13,000 ha, forces evacuation of 21 towns

A forest fire ignited on Thursday in La Mierla, in the Sierra Norte of the Guadalajara province, Spain. The blaze rapidly spread through the Parque Natural de la Sierra Norte, expanding from about 3,400 ha on the first night to more than 13,000 ha by early July. The fire has forced the evacuation of roughly 800 residents from 21 municipalities, with earlier displacements of 600‑plus people from twelve towns such as Monasterio, Veguillas, La Mielga and Muriel. Emergency authorities have deployed a large multi‑agency response: over 200 professionals, dozens of helicopters and fixed‑wing aircraft, and dozens of ground crews from the regional INFOCAM plan, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, the Unidad Militar de Emergencias, the provincial fire services and the Guardia Civil. The priority remains protecting populated areas and establishing firebreaks, while wind and dry conditions continue to hinder containment. Local officials, including the regional development‑sustainability counsellor Mercedes Gómez, have reported road and telephone disruptions, and investigations are under way into the fire’s origin, with the mayor of Robledillo de Mohernando named as a suspect. Farmers’ groups have asked for controlled access to livestock pens, and political leaders have sought to visit the advanced command post in Tamajón.