Spain wildfires emergency 2024‑2026

In July 2026 Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition reported that 180,000 hectares had burned in 2024, a figure more than six times the previous year’s total, and noted that 2025 had already set a record with 355,000 hectares. The scale of the fires led to a national‑interest emergency declaration for the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila, the first such declaration for a forest fire.

A Greenpeace‑documented aerial survey of the second half of July showed that the fires had already consumed about 107,000 ha—roughly 60 % of the national total of 180,000 ha reported for the year. The largest megafires burned 44,447 ha at Burgohondo in Ávila and 32,100 ha at La Mierla in Guadalajara. Urban fringe communities on Madrid’s southwest side, including El Encinar del Alberche and San Martín de Valdeiglesias, suffered extensive property damage. The images underscored gaps in compliance with Spain’s Basic Civil Protection Directive, which obliges municipalities and developments at the urban‑forest interface to maintain emergency and self‑protection plans.

Just days later, in early August 2026, uncontrolled wildfires continued to rage across the Sierra Oeste area of Madrid, destroying homes, vineyards, olive groves and other farmland, displacing families and threatening local ecosystems. The ongoing emergency prompted calls from environmental groups for strict fire‑prevention protocols ahead of the total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, when thousands of visitors are expected. Authorities and local town halls are being urged to implement safety measures, consider event cancellations if risk is high, and launch recovery plans to re‑forest burned areas and prevent soil erosion.