The three active fires in the Community of Madrid have joined into a single front, a situation that has raised the risk and complicated the firefighting efforts. The advance of the flames has forced to evacuate Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo and Navas del Rey. The president of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, is already talking about the "worst fire in the history of the Community of Madrid".
The counselor of Environment, Agriculture and Interior of the Community of Madrid, Carlos Novillo, has reported on the evolution of the fire from the Advanced Command Post installed in Cenicientos. Novillo has warned that the next 24 hours will be "very complex", especially due to the wind, which could leave gusts exceeding 50 kilometers per hour until night. The affected area is already around 6,000 hectares.
"We need to have forest firefighters and aerial resources on standby on a high-risk day because we cannot afford a second fire and, above all, the priority is to save lives," the counselor has pointed out.
The extinguishing teams are working to "try to limit the flanks" while waiting for a change in weather conditions that allows attacking the head of the fire.
According to Novillo, the situation could improve during the night and, especially, on Saturday morning, when a drop in temperatures and "a different wind module" is expected.
Evacuations in Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo and Navas del Rey
Emergencies 112 of the Community of Madrid has ordered the evacuation of Chapinería, Colmenar del Arroyo and Navas del Rey due to the advance of the fire.
The Town Hall of Chapinería has indicated that its residents must leave the municipality towards Villaviciosa de Odón. Buses will be provided from the Town Hall square for residents and from the auditorium for people coming from other localities.
Those using private vehicles must also head to Villaviciosa de Odón and follow the instructions of emergency services and authorities. The City Council has requested calm and maximum caution.
In Colmenar del Arroyo, the Town Hall has communicated that residents must move to Madrid "by their own means." For those lacking transportation, buses will be provided.
The authorities have also urged residents of Navas del Rey to evacuate the locality and head towards Madrid.
18,000 evacuated
The most recent balance raises to about 18,000 the evacuated people due to the fires in the Community of Madrid.
Until the early hours of this Friday, the official figure was more than 10,000 evacuees. The three new municipalities add around 8,200 inhabitants, although the authorities have not yet provided a closed official count.
Risk of the Burgohondo (Ávila) fire merging
This scenario is compounded by the risk that the Burgohondo fire, in Ávila, penetrates into the Community of Madrid and ends up merging with the large active front in the southwest of the region, a possibility that the authorities consider the worst-case scenario.