Spain devastated by wildfires: Government declares national emergency and requests support from European Union
Over 130,000 hectares have burnt: 35,000 in one wildfire alone in Guadalajara, and now a fire South West of Madrid prompts declaration of national emergency.
Spain is going through one of the worst summers regarding wildfires, with over 130,000 hectares burnt so far in 2026, of which nearly half are forest hectares, according to estimates from RTVE. There are several active fires at the moment, including one of the largest in years, La Mierla, in Guadalajara, which has already burnt 35,300 hectares, that is already "stabilised" after weeks of destruction.
One of the most recent fires, in the South West of the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila, which has already burnt over 6,000 hectares and has forced the evacuation of over 11,000 people, has caused the declaration of national emergency in the affected regions because of the rapid spread, simultaneous fronts (that have converged into one), and the risk to population and natural environment. The critical situation has prompted the government, trough the Military Emergency Unit (UME), to request support from the European Union.
As reported by El Diario.es, Spain has used the European Response Mechanism, seeking support from other European Union countries to combat the wildfires in Madrid and Ávila. This will result in at least four fixed-wing firefighting aircraft being sent by Greece and Italy. The fires in Madrid and Ávila will also receive support from other regions in Spain.
This situation is not too different from what is happening in other European countries like France, Portugal, and Italy, made worse in an extremely warm summer that will become the norm due to climate change. Earlier this month, a wildfire in Almería caused 13 casualties, most of them foreign tourists who were caught in a road.
