Spain's Second-Largest Wildfire – Sánchez Calls for Climate Pact

According to official reports, the devastating wildfire in the province of Guadalajara has now destroyed approximately 32,000 hectares of land, making it one of the largest fires in Spain’s recent history. During a visit to the fire zone, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a bipartisan “national pact against the climate emergency.” At the same time, emergency responders expressed cautious optimism that they would be able to bring the fire northeast of Madrid under control in the coming days.

Sánchez and the president of the affected region of Castile-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, spoke with the incident commanders about the fire’s progress. García-Page later told reporters that there was cause for “cautious optimism.” The success of the firefighting efforts offers hope that the fire situation can soon be stabilized. However, the stronger winds forecast for Thursday could once again worsen the situation.

Some are already allowed to go home

Due to the improved situation, residents of five previously evacuated villages were allowed to return to their homes on Wednesday. In addition, authorities did not rule out the possibility that residents of La Mierla—the site where the fire started, about 70 kilometers northeast of Madrid—might return later in the day. In total, since the fire broke out last Thursday in the Sierra Norte, 34 villages had been evacuated and about 1,200 people had been brought to safety.

The fire, which preliminary findings suggest was likely caused by agricultural work, has now grown into the country’s second-largest wildfire since the central government began keeping records in 1968, with an estimated 32,000 hectares destroyed —an area roughly equivalent to 45,000 soccer fields—has become the country’s second-largest wildfire since the central government began keeping records in 1968. Only the Larouco fire in 2025 was larger, destroying just under 38,000 hectares in the regions of Galicia and Castile and León in the northwest of the country.

In Guadalajara, approximately 600 emergency responders—including members of the fire department, civil defense, and the Military Emergency Response Unit (UME)—continued their efforts to bring the fire under control. According to official reports, they were supported by nearly 30 firefighting planes and helicopters.

Sánchez Pledges Financial Aid

Speaking in Guadalajara, Sánchez said that scientific evidence leaves no doubt that climate change, among other things, is costing human lives. The fight against the climate crisis must therefore transcend partisan political disputes. He also pledged further government support and financial aid to the affected communities for the reconstruction of the devastated areas.

Spain continues to grapple with an exceptionally severe wildfire season. According to data from the European Earth observation program Copernicus, approximately 123,000 hectares have already been burned nationwide since the beginning of the year—nearly three times as much as during the same period last year.