Overview
- The Sierra Oeste de Madrid blaze was declared controlled on Tuesday, August 4, and authorities have moved operations into extinction, remate and on-site surveillance while permitting staged returns to evacuated urbanizations.
- The Comunidad de Madrid estimates the fire burned more than 27,000 hectares and forced about 55,000 people to evacuate or remain confined, and some safety measures such as temporary bathing bans and road closures remain in force.
- The Spanish government declared a national emergency on July 24, the Interior Ministry assumed coordination and the Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) led operational efforts to consolidate perimeters and prevent reactivation.
- The Senet fire in Alta Ribagorça is still active at roughly 109 hectares with about 36 hectares inside the peripheral protection zone of Aigüestortes, and officials have temporarily eased high-mountain access as conditions improved but continue close monitoring.
- High temperatures, low humidity and unstable storms have driven the severity of this season, prompted urgent equipment buys and the scaling up of recovery services including donation channels, temporary transport and psychological and legal aid for affected residents.