The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, visited this Wednesday the areas affected by the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara fire, which has already entered a “stabilization” phase after devastating 32,000 hectares. Sánchez insisted on the “need” for a State pact against the climate emergency, as he did in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería. The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, for his part, announced that he expects the fire to be “stabilized” by tomorrow, Thursday, despite the strong winds. “It’s going to be a tough day,” he said. Page also added that throughout the day the evacuation order for five municipalities will be lifted: Riofrío del Llano, Cardeñosa, Santiuste, Angón and Rebollosa de Jayaque. Meanwhile, the fire front closest to Soria remains stable at between five and seven kilometers from the provincial border. In the rest of the country, high temperatures keep other important fires active in the provinces of Segovia, Teruel and Huelva.
- PHOTO GALLERY | The Guadalajara forest fire, in images
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The Provincial Council of Almería approves the first aid for Los Gallardos, Bédar and Lubrín
The Provincial Council of Almería has approved, in less than a week, the first direct aid for the municipalities of Los Gallardos, Bédar and Lubrín to face the immediate expenses derived from the forest fire originated in Los Gallardos, which affected these three municipalities and Antas. In a note, the provincial institution has indicated that the subsidies will allow the three councils to cover the disbursements they have had to assume during and after the extinction efforts, including the supply of water and provisions and the supply of fuel for machinery and emergency vehicles.
They will also finance the repair of tires and other material damages suffered by the teams deployed on the ground. The aid includes gratuities for volunteer personnel who have provided their disinterested collaboration and the hiring of specialized technical personnel to prepare reports that will allow affected residents to process their corresponding aid in accordance with emergency regulations. The Provincial Council has indicated that these actions respond to the commitment assumed by its president, José Antonio García Alcaina, with the mayors of the affected localities to act with the “greatest speed” and accompany the municipalities during the recovery process. (EP)
19-year-old reported for causing a fire in Pinell del Solsonès (Lleida)
The Mossos d’Esquadra have criminally reported a 19-year-old man for causing a forest fire on July 2 in the scattered settlement of Sant Climenç, in Pinell del Solsonès (Lleida), which affected more than two hectares of holm oak forest and agricultural land.
According to a statement issued by the Catalan police this Wednesday, the investigation carried out by the Rural Agents and witness statements established an intentional fire as the main hypothesis, as there were no indications of natural or accidental causes to justify the origin of the fire.
At the time of the events, there was no agricultural machinery operating nearby, and the reconstruction of the fire’s spread ruled out other possible accidental causes.
Given this suspicion, the Investigation Unit of the Solsona police station took over the case, carried out inquiries to determine the authorship of the fire, and took statements from several people who had passed through the burned area shortly before the fire started, as witnesses.
On July 14, one of those people who could be placed at the scene of the fire on the date of the incident ended up admitting responsibility. The Mossos identified and reported him for a fire offense, and placed him at the disposal of the investigating court on duty in Solsona. (Efe)
Castilla y León will request to declare the area affected by the Segovia fire a disaster zone
The Junta de Castilla y León will request the Government to declare the area affected by the Brieva (Segovia) fire as an area severely affected by a civil protection emergency. This was announced this Wednesday by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Environment and Environmental Policy, Joaquín Antonio Pino, during his visit to the area, where he also indicated that the distribution of straw, hay and other fodder to feed the livestock of the affected farms has already begun.
Pino explained that the immediate priority is to guarantee the feeding of animals from about one hundred livestock farms affected by the fire, where some 8,000 head of cattle are counted, in addition to sheep farms.
The first trucks with feed began to arrive at the farms from ten in the morning, just one day after the minister gave instructions to the Territorial Service of Agriculture and Livestock of Segovia and the Veterinary Units to organize the distribution without waiting for the damage assessment to conclude.
The minister assured that, once the damage assessment is completed, the regional administration will implement the necessary measures to promote the recovery of the farms and prevent the fire from compromising the continuity of their activity.
Pino insisted that the Junta will maintain the food supply “for as long as necessary,” as the loss of pastures in the middle of summer prevents feeding livestock with usual resources.
Regarding the material losses caused by the fire, the minister indicated that the Junta will evaluate the possibilities of support for those affected, and also that it will demand the involvement of the central Executive. “We are going to ask the Government of Spain to provide direct aid for affected livestock farmers, as happened with other fires last year,” he announced. (Efe)
Fires
Guadalajara fire enters “stabilization” phase after devastating over 32,000 hectares
The La Mierla fire (Guadalajara), the largest in the history of Castilla-La Mancha, which has devastated more than 32,000 hectares, has now entered a “stabilization” phase, as announced this Wednesday by the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, from the advanced command post in Tamajón, in a joint statement with the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, who visited the affected area seven days after the fire started. Before his statement to the media, both greeted all members of the emergency response team, who have been working on extinction efforts since last Thursday. From there, Sánchez once again insisted on the “need” to create a State pact for the climate emergency, as he did in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería.
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Forest Fires
The Guadalajara forest fire, in images
The Sierra Norte de Guadalajara fire has already devastated at least 32,000 hectares of the province, while extinction efforts continue this Wednesday.
You can view the complete photo gallery here
The Brieva (Segovia) fire subsides
The fire unleashed in Brieva (Segovia) on Monday night is subsiding and has dropped from severity level 2 to level 1 out of a maximum of 3. Estimates point to some 3,500 to 4,000 affected hectares, mostly cereal fields that favored the rapid spread of the flames at the beginning of the fire. Residents of Berrocal and Carrascal de la Cuesta were the last to receive permission to return to their homes after being evacuated a few days ago, just as on Wednesday afternoon the inhabitants of Tenzuela, Losana de Pirón, La Cuesta, Aldeasaz, Caballar and Santo Domingo de Pirón were also able to return to their homes, with the confinement of Pelayos del Arroyo also being lifted.
Sánchez insists on the “need” for a State pact against the climate emergency
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has once again insisted from the advanced command post in Tamajón (Guadalajara) on the “need” to create a State pact for the climate emergency. “Spain needs a great agreement, a great State pact against the climate emergency because we cannot remember fires or climate emergencies only when they occur. We have to do it beforehand, we have to raise awareness among citizens. We must not trivialize the effects of the climate emergency, but take it very seriously. That is not politics, it is not ideology, it is science,” he said.
Page expects the La Mierla (Guadalajara) fire to be stabilized this Thursday: “The deployment has been historic”
The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, believes that the La Mierla (Guadalajara) fire could be considered “stabilized” by tomorrow, Thursday, despite the strong winds: “It’s going to be a tough day.” The president of Castilla-La Mancha highlighted the coordination between the central and regional administrations and the “tremendous effectiveness” in protecting the population and the members of the deployed operation. “The deployment has been historic for Castilla-La Mancha,” he added. Page also issued a warning against those who “trivialize climate change” because “they are part of the fuel for fires.”
The Humanes (Guadalajara) sports center, converted into a shelter for evacuated people, this Wednesday. / Mario Morón / EFE
Evacuees at the Humanes (Guadalajara) sports center
The El Cerro (Huelva) fire burns the habitat of deer, foxes, and mongooses
The fire affecting an area of El Cerro del Andévalo (Huelva) since Tuesday night is burning a zone where different animal species live in the center of Huelva province, such as deer, foxes, and mongooses.
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According to sources from Ecologistas en Acción, the land suffering from the fire, located in the Andévalo region, is a small game hunting ground that once had a significant population of rabbits and hares, now in smaller numbers, but it is a habitat for wild boars, deer, foxes, hares, mongooses, and partridges. It is, in fact, an area of dehesa with high ecological value, as well as being one of the places in Andalusia where one can witness the deer rutting season live in September. Along with Doñana, the Andévalo is the main observation point for the rut in the Huelva province. (Efe)
The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, this Wednesday. / PIEDAD LOPEZ / JCCM
Page states that the fire enters a phase of “reasonable optimism”: “We are starting to tackle it with much greater guarantees of success”
The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, stated this Wednesday that the fire devastating the province of Guadalajara is entering a new phase of “reasonable optimism”: “For the first time, we are ahead of the fire. We are starting to tackle it with much greater guarantees of success.”
The latest calculation of burned surface area amounts to 32,000 hectares, the Manchegan president announced. Page added that throughout the day the evacuation order for five municipalities will be lifted: Riofrío del Llano, Cardeñosa, Santiuste, Angón, and Rebollosa de Jayaque. And, probably, throughout the day the evacuation of La Mierla, the municipality where the fire started, will also be lifted.
Page highlighted that authorities have been able to protect 40 population centers, “with serious risk to the lives of the operatives.” According to his calculations, without a special level of protection, between five and six population centers would have been devastated.
Evacuation measures maintained in Retortillo and Barcones (Soria) due to Guadalajara fire
The Guadalajara fire continues to be a concern in Soria. Evacuation measures remain in place for the Retortillo residence and the town of Barcones, awaiting the evolution of air quality, which is affected by smoke from the nearby fire that started in La Mierla (Guadalajara). The Soria CECOPI has reported that the front remains between five and seven kilometers from the provincial border. The risk level remains at 2 due to potential risks to populations in the area such as Retortillo, Barcones, Arenillas, and the hamlet of Lumías (Berlanga de Duero).
The Ejulve (Teruel) fire maintains a favorable evolution after affecting 1,400 hectares
The Ejulve (Teruel) forest fire maintains a favorable evolution this Wednesday after a night in which the operation focused on consolidating the perimeter after affecting some 1,400 hectares.
According to the Government of Aragon’s forest fire prevention and extinction device (Infoar), the use of a thermal drone has allowed the identification of hot spots, and the operation is awaiting whether the increase in temperature and wind in the coming hours will affect the fire’s evolution.
For now, 266 people remain evacuated as a precaution from Molinos (250) and the hamlets of La Cañadilla (5) and Cirugeda (11), who have been housed in resources enabled by various administrations and by the Alcorisa City Council, with family members or by their own means. (Efe)
Andalusia raises Infoca Plan to emergency phase 1 due to fire in El Cerro del Andévalo (Huelva)
The First Vice President of the Junta and Minister of Presidency, Health and Emergencies, Antonio Sanz, as director of the Andalusia Forest Fire Emergency Plan (Plan Infoca), has raised the plan to emergency phase, operational situation 1, this Wednesday due to the evolution of the forest fire declared in the Los Pajares area of the Huelva town of El Cerro del Andévalo.
Sanz himself announced this in a message published on his social media, in which he asks the population to “always follow the instructions of the emergency services,” avoiding the fire zone to prevent unnecessary risks.
The fire was declared around 10:00 PM this Tuesday, and the tasks of the device deployed by the Infoca Plan are focused on the head of the fire, an area “with great potential for forest mass.”
A hundred personnel are working on the ground in the area with a dozen fire engines, four bulldozers, a Mobile Meteorological Unit, and a Medical Unit.
Emergency phase, operational situation 1, refers to those fires which, while being controllable with the ordinary means and resources available to the Junta de Andalucía, are activated due to the dimensions and resources needed for extinction or because population protection measures had to be taken. This is the third forest fire declared in the province of Huelva in the last 24 hours, in addition to the one declared in Almonaster la Real, which remains stabilized after the return of the 350 residents who had to be evacuated this Tuesday, and in an area of Lucena del Puerto, which was extinguished at 11:30 PM. (EP)
Sánchez visits the areas affected by the La Mierla (Guadalajara) fire this morning
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, visits this Wednesday the areas affected by the La Mierla (Guadalajara) fire, which has devastated at least 30,000 hectares in the Sierra Norte of the province.
Sánchez will go at 11:00 AM to the Advanced Command Post, located in the municipality of Tamajón, where he will meet with the teams coordinating the emergency and, subsequently, will offer a statement to the media. For this reason, the President of the Government has suspended his participation in the closing ceremony of the presentation event ‘Spain undertakes: innovation for climate resilience’, which is held this morning in Madrid.
The La Mierla fire remains active and has devastated between 30,000 and 32,000 hectares since it began on July 16, making it the second largest in terms of burned area in historical records, after the one registered in Larouco, Quiroga and Oencia (between Ourense, Lugo and León) in 2025. This fire, whose origin points to agricultural work, has become the largest in the history of Castilla-La Mancha, surpassing the one that occurred in Riba de Saelices, also in Guadalajara, in July 2005, which incinerated some 13,000 hectares. (Efe)
Climate emergency
Guadalajara fire skyrockets burned area in Spain after a disastrous start to July
While last year the flames raged in August, devastating the northwest of the Peninsula, coinciding with an extensive and intense heatwave, this summer problems have arrived earlier in Spain, the European country with the most damaged area at the moment. After an already complicated June, in July the area affected by fire has skyrocketed to an annual accumulated total of 119,458 hectares. These are the provisional data offered this Tuesday by the European monitoring service Copernicus, which uses its satellite network to estimate the perimeter and surface area of fires. But what stands out most is that two-thirds —79,000 hectares— of that total have burned in just the first 20 days of July.
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Good morning. We begin the live coverage of the latest news on the fires, this Wednesday, July 21.
Extinction efforts continue today to control the serious fire in the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara, which has devastated at least 30,000 hectares of the province, while high temperatures keep other important fires active in the provinces of Segovia, Teruel, and Huelva.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, visits the areas affected by the fire at 11:00 AM, which has devastated at least 30,000 hectares of the province.
The new heatwave brings orange alerts for high temperatures this Wednesday in six autonomous communities (Andalusia, Aragon, Balearic Islands, Castilla-La Mancha, Catalonia, and Madrid) and yellow alerts in eight others. Storms with strong wind gusts and hail are also expected in Castellón, Valencia, Tarragona, Murcia, Albacete, and eastern Andalusia.
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