Wildfires raging across Spain have scorched over 77,000 hectares in Avila, Madrid, Toledo, and Castellon, with the Avila blaze officially becoming the most devastating in the country's recorded history.
The massive fire in Avila alone has consumed 50,000 hectares as of July 26, 2026, and spans a perimeter of 160 kilometers.
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It surpasses the previous record set in August 2025 in Ourense, Lugo, and Leon, which burned 37,765 hectares.
Emergency Response and Evacuations
Emergency responders, including forest firefighters, the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), Civil Guard, and National Police, are working in coordinated operations to stabilize active fronts.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska acknowledged the severity of the crisis during an official briefing.
"We are, as you well know, facing what we could qualify as the most important and most aggressive fire in the history of Spain," he said.
While firefighters report slow but positive progress overall, authorities remain deeply concerned about the southwestern front in Mijares, where flames risk merging with another fire in San Martin de Valdeiglesias.
Across the three provinces under national emergency, 59,896 people have been evacuated and 29,867 ordered to shelter in place.
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Another 16,000 have been displaced in Castellon, where the La Vall d'Uixo fire remains out of control after burning over 4,300 hectares.
Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge Sara Aagesen described the operational situation as "complex" from the advanced command post in Navalcarnero.
