Spain battles latest in series of major wildfires near Madrid

By AFP

This article was published on 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026.

Spain has been contending with a series of wildfires this summer, entering its third heatwave of the season.

Hundreds of Spanish firefighters have been battling a wildfire near the capital Madrid, the latest in a series of wildfires to have erupted over the summer as the country faces its third heatwave of the year.

More than 600 firefighters and troops, backed by 29 aircraft, spent a sixth day battling the blaze on Tuesday as it raged north of Madrid.

Approximately 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) have been scorched by the fire, leading to the evacuation of around 1,200 residents. Thirty-four hamlets have been cleared, and residents in 14 other districts have been instructed to stay inside.

Strong winds and dry, abandoned scrubland in the sparsely populated area have made the fire especially hard to fight.

Temperatures climbing to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) have intensified the pressure on firefighting crews, with helicopters and aircraft assisting in extinguishing the flames.

Authorities reported that the fire is one of the toughest they have ever faced. It has been burning since last Thursday in Guadalajara province, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital, and is now Spain’s most destructive wildfire of the year.

The country has faced a difficult summer stretch, and has now entered its third heatwave of the season.

A fire in Almeria earlier this month killed 13 people, making it one of Spain’s deadliest in recent memory.

Scientists say human-caused climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of heatwaves, drying out vegetation and raising the risk of destructive wildfires.

In 2025, more than 393,000 hectares (371,000 acres) were destroyed by fire, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, the most in Spain’s recent history.

The wildfire near Madrid has burned roughly 30,000 hectares and is now the nation's most destructive of the year. Scientists attribute the increasing severity of such fires to climate change, which prolongs heatwaves and dries out vegetation. This event highlights the escalating wildfire risk in southern Europe as global temperatures rise.