Wildfire emergency near Madrid forces over 10,000 to flee as Spain sounds alarm

Dramatic footage filmed overnight on 23 and 24 July 2026 in San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Chapinería, south-west of Madrid, shows firefighters confronting towering flames, Civil Guard officers responding to the advancing fire, and displaced residents sheltering in an emergency centre.

Locals described flames and thick smoke surrounding San Martín de Valdeiglesias, forcing residents, including many elderly people, to flee their homes.

Spain declared an unprecedented national emergency over wildfires on Thursday night as rapidly spreading blazes near Madrid and in neighbouring Ávila province drove more than 10,000 residents from their homes. The emergency affected Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Pelayos de la Presa and Aldea del Fresno, while Chapinería alone sheltered more than 150 evacuees, according to Mayor Lucía Moya. Several municipalities also reported homes damaged or destroyed.

The declaration placed firefighting operations under the direct control of the Interior Ministry, allowing additional resources to be deployed. More than 270 emergency personnel and 40 ground units, supported by Spain's Military Emergency Unit and water-bombing aircraft, have been mobilised despite strong winds and extreme heat complicating efforts to contain the flames.

The fires come during one of Spain's most severe wildfire seasons in recent years. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, more than 104,000 hectares have burned across the country since the beginning of 2026. Earlier this month, wildfires claimed at least 13 lives, including in a deadly blaze in Almería. The latest outbreaks around Madrid add to a series of major fires in Guadalajara, Aragón and Andalusia, further stretching Spain's firefighting resources at the height of the summer fire season.