Spanish Prime Minister: Priority is containing the fires and securing their perimeter; the next 12 hours will be decisive
Madrid, July 29 (KUNA) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday praised the “positive efforts” to combat forest fires in the Madrid region and the neighboring province of Avila, but warned that the next 12 hours would be critical to consolidating the gains achieved by firefighting teams.
Speaking during a visit to the Advanced Fire Command Center in Madrid, Sanchez said that the priority at this stage is to contain the fires, secure their perimeters, and wet down burned land to prevent new outbreaks. He emphasized that emergency teams would continue working until full control over the fires is declared.
He noted that “the situation is developing positively, but we must remain cautious,” pointing out that the next 12 hours would be crucial to consolidating the work done. In this context, he also mentioned that there are currently 10 active forest fires in Spain.
The socialist leader stressed that a new heat wave, which began today and will last until next Sunday, requires maintaining a state of maximum alert, warning that rising temperatures and low humidity could reactivate some hotspots or spark new fires.
Sanchez said that tens of thousands of residents have been able to return to their homes following an improvement in the situation, with about 44,000 people returning in the Madrid region and around 5,000 in Toledo. He urged other residents who are still away from their homes to remain patient until authorities confirm that the danger has completely passed.
He affirmed that “our priority is to ensure the safety of citizens, and residents will not be allowed to return to their homes unless full guarantees are provided that they will not be exposed to danger again.”
The number of people affected by the fires in Madrid, Avila, Toledo, and Valencia has exceeded 190,000, including those evacuated from their homes and those ordered to stay indoors as a precautionary measure. According to the latest figures from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the fires have consumed approximately 50,000 hectares in Avila and around 28,000 hectares in the Madrid region. In Castellon, in eastern Spain’s Valencia region, where the fires are still advancing without being brought under control, the affected area has reached about 9,300 hectares.
The total area consumed by forest fires across Spain since the beginning of this year has reached 200,000 hectares. (End) H.N.D./T.M.A.
