Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced today that Spain has lifted the national state of emergency imposed in response to major wildfires near Madrid, following significant progress in containing the blazes.
According to Qatar News Agency, Sanchez spoke during a visit to an emergency operations centre in the town of Navaluenga in Avila province, about 100 kilometres west of Madrid. He urged the public to remain vigilant as a new heatwave is expected to drive temperatures higher across the country in the coming days. Sanchez also noted that several of the most severe wildfires had been caused by negligence, stressing that those responsible would be held accountable.
After several days of intensive firefighting efforts, three major wildfires in the Sierra Oeste region and the provinces of Avila and Toledo have either been largely contained or brought fully under control. As a result, most evacuation orders and movement restrictions affecting around 90,000 people have been lifted.
However, the situation remains fragile, with three new wildfires breaking out in forested areas. In the northwestern province of Leon, around 300 residents were forced to evacuate their homes in the area surrounding the village of San Cipriano.
Spanish authorities declared a national state of emergency on 24 July after rapidly spreading wildfires burned out of control, prompting the evacuation of thousands of residents from mountain towns west of Madrid.