About twenty aerial units and more than a hundred ground personnel are working to extinguish a forest fire declared in the municipality of Pinofranqueado, in the Las Hurdes region (Cáceres). Around 600 people have been evacuated from the towns of Horcajo, Avellanar, Erías, Castillo, El Gasco, Martinlandrán, La Fragosa, and Robledo, who remain housed in the Gregorio Marañón student residence in Caminomorisco.
Read more Sumar calls on the Government to make Lorca a “world symbol of creative freedom”
Additionally, the fire has forced the mobilization of the UME, as the unit itself has reported through its networks: “Units of the First Emergency Intervention Battalion have left their base in Torrejón de Ardoz to join the missions to extinguish the forest fire in Pinofranqueado.”
Units of the First Emergency Intervention Battalion have left their base in Torrejón de Ardoz to join the missions to extinguish the #IFPinofranqueado forest fire in #Cáceres@PLANINFOEX @JuntaEx112 pic.twitter.com/zaRYoETpc3
Read more The decisive trial against Meta begins: «They knew their platforms were harming young people»
— UME (@UMEgob) August 18, 2026
The Junta of Extremadura has raised the operational status of the Special Civil Protection Plan against Forest Fires of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Infocaex), which goes from level 1 to 2, regional government sources have reported. In this case, it is activated due to the possible impact on the hamlet of Avellanar, from where residents have moved to the village of Castillo on their own.
At this moment, the fire mobilizes twelve helicopters and five planes, as well as four units of heavy machinery and a total of 123 ground personnel, including forest firefighters and helitranported firefighters, firefighters from the Diputación de Cáceres, and Civil Guard personnel.
