Spain’s government declared a national emergency Friday after wildfires forced the evacuation of some 10,000 people in the region of Madrid. This year’s fires include Spain’s second-largest ever fire that consumed some 320 square kilometers in recent days in the province of Guadalajara. Thirteen people were also killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month. Spain has seen an estimated 1,300 square kilometers already burned this year.
MADRID JULY 24: Spain’s government declared a national emergency Friday after wildfires forced the evacuation of some 10,000 people in the central region of Madrid. According to Associated Press the national emergency means that the nation’s interior ministry, which controls police and security forces, has taken charge of overseeing the firefighting efforts by Spain’s regions as they struggle to battle multiple blazes that are being fanned by a heatwave.
The regional government of Madrid, which spans a wide area around the capital city, said 10,000 people had been evacuated from different villages as multiple fires raged out of control late on Thursday. This year’s fires include Spain’s second-largest ever fire that consumed some 320 square kilometers in recent days in the province of Guadalajara north of Madrid. Thirteen people were also killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month, the deadliest fire in recent memory for Spain.
Spain has seen an estimated 1,300 square kilometers already burned this year, over four times the amount of terrain that was burned through the first half of 2025. Like many other European countries, Spain is experiencing extreme heat, which is combining with wind and limited rainfall to create ideal conditions for small wildfires to grow unchecked.
