Tens of thousands of residents of the Sierra Oeste of Madrid are living on edge as they monitor the progress of a series of wildfires that have completely disrupted their routine. Many of them have had to abandon their homes with only a few minutes' notice, unsure whether they will find them intact upon return.
This scenario of uncertainty was the focus of the message delivered by the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who called for empathy with those affected by one of the largest forest fires the region has experienced in recent decades.
From the Advanced Command Post set up in Cenicientos, the regional leader acknowledged the anguish faced by more than 45,000 people who have been evacuated or confined due to the advance of the flames, while announcing new measures to assist the sectors most affected by the emergency.
"We must put ourselves in the shoes" of those who have left their homes behind
During her appearance, Ayuso wanted to highlight the situation faced by residents forced to leave their homes as a preventive measure.
"We must put ourselves in the shoes of those who have left their houses without knowing their condition or when they can return," said the president, who thanked the public for their behavior during the evacuations and their compliance with the instructions of emergency services.
The head of the regional government emphasized that, despite the magnitude of the fire, evacuations have proceeded smoothly thanks to the collaboration of local councils, volunteers, and various security and emergency bodies.
So far, authorities have not reported any casualties, a fact that Ayuso described as the most positive aspect amid an extremely complex emergency.
One million euros for livestock farms
In addition to the impact on the population, the fire is also causing significant damage to the primary sector. Therefore, the Community of Madrid will launch an emergency contract worth one million euros for affected livestock farms.
The aid will ensure the supply of animal feed and veterinary assistance at facilities that have suffered the consequences of the fire, with the aim of preventing economic losses from worsening once the emergency ends.
A fire still out of control
The evolution of the fire remains very worrying. According to the Madrid president, the burned area could already approach 12,000 hectares, double the initial estimate made in the morning, although she stressed that the figure remains provisional because the perimeter has not yet been completely closed.
Ayuso warned that some hotspots remain "beyond extinguishing capacity," a situation that forces efforts to focus on protecting the population and preventing the flames from advancing further, aided by strong wind gusts.
The president acknowledged that the available aerial resources are fewer than what would be needed to tackle a fire of this magnitude, but she praised the work of ground crews, the heavy machinery deployed by the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and support received from other autonomous communities.
National emergency and extensive deployment of resources
The severity of the situation led the Ministry of the Interior to declare a national emergency, which has enabled better coordination of the various teams working simultaneously on the fires in the Community of Madrid and the province of Ávila.
Personnel from the UME, forest firefighters, Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigades (BRIF), Civil Guard, National Police, Civil Protection, and resources sent by several autonomous communities are involved in firefighting efforts. The priority remains protecting the population and preventing the different active fronts from merging into a single large fire.
Marlaska expects weather improvement to intensify attack on the fire
The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, assured from the command post set up in Navaluenga (Ávila) that weather forecasts offer a glimmer of hope for the coming hours.
"At this moment we cannot be very optimistic, but we are realistic," said the minister, who explained that the forecast of decreasing winds, accompanied by increased humidity and slightly lower temperatures during the early morning hours, opens "an important window" to reinforce ground attacks on the fires still active in both Madrid and Ávila.
Despite this slight expected improvement, Marlaska insisted that the situation remains very delicate and that the fire's evolution will largely depend on weather conditions in the coming hours.
The Madrid president also asked the public to consult only information disseminated through the official channels of the Community of Madrid and Emergencies 112, in order to avoid the spread of rumors or unverified messages.
She also requested that individuals and companies wishing to collaborate with the affected municipalities coordinate any donations in advance with the local councils to address the real needs arising from the emergency.
