Madrid, Spain.– The Spanish Government ordered this Saturday the evacuation of another 30,000 people due to two large forest fires that remain out of control in the provinces of Madrid and Ávila, raising to 73,000 the number of citizens displaced by these disasters.
The fires, which are advancing simultaneously and remain close to each other, have affected several communities in central Spain, where emergency agencies are working to contain the flames and protect the population.
Of the total number of evacuees, some 38,000 correspond to the province of Ávila, while around 35,000 belong to the southwest of Madrid, as reported by the Government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín.
Among the affected municipalities is Cenicientos, the town where the advanced command post was installed to coordinate emergency efforts, but which also had to be evacuated. For this reason, the operations center will be moved to Navalcarnero, in Madrid.
The new evictions cover seven towns in Ávila and two in Madrid, located in the Tiétar River valley, an area of high environmental value that has been one of the hardest hit by the fire in recent days.
More Read
We recommend reading: Seven municipalities near Bordeaux evacuated due to the advance of a large forest fire
According to preliminary data from the Ministry of the Interior, the fire recorded in Ávila has destroyed between 13,000 and 15,000 hectares, while the one in Madrid has consumed nearly 10,000 hectares.
Francisco Martín pointed out that the evolution of the fire in the Tiétar valley continues to be “very intense” and that the authorities’ priority is to protect lives and ensure safe evacuations. So far, no serious personal injuries have been reported.
