A major wildfire north-east of Madrid has scorched around 13,000 hectares and remains out of control, Spanish authorities said on Sunday.
Public broadcaster RTVE reported that the flames had advanced a further 14 kilometres overnight, as more than 500 firefighters and emergency personnel were working to create firebreaks and contain the blaze, which broke out on Thursday.
Regional Environment Minister Mercedes Gómez said these efforts have succeeded in keeping the fire away from nearby communities. They are being supported by Spain’s Military Emergency Unit (UME).
Ground crews are also being assisted by 25 firefighting aircraft. Gómez said 20 municipalities, home to around 800 residents, had been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The fire risk is high across large parts of Spain, with severe drought and low humidity affecting much of the country.
Since the beginning of the year, wildfires in Spain have destroyed more than 80,000 hectares, nearly double the area burned during the same period last year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
In 2025, however, the worst fires did not occur until August, when the burned area surged within just a few days from about 47,000 hectares at the end of July to 380,000 hectares in early August.
Better news from Aragon
The blaze that broke out near Orés in the north-eastern region of Aragon on Thursday is now largely under control after destroying around 14,400 hectares, according to Aragon regional president Jorge Azcón.
More than 1,100 people were temporarily forced to evacuate their homes. Over 400 firefighters, supported by numerous helicopters and water-bombing aircraft, battled the flames.
Spain, neighbouring Portugal, and several other European countries have been hit by a series of major wildfires in recent weeks.
In southern Spain’s Andalusia region last week, 13 people died in a wildfire. Most of the victims were elderly foreign residents living in Almería Province, including seven British and three Belgian nationals.