World
Spain Fires: 77,000 hectares burned, national emergency declared for first time
The fire devastating the Ávila region, west of Madrid, has become the largest ever recorded in Spain: more than 77,000 hectares had burned by July 27, 2026, including 25,000 in the Madrid region alone. The Spanish government declared a national emergency for wildfires—a first in the country's history. By July 27, 75,000 people had been evacuated in the Madrid and Valencia regions, and one person died in a separate fire near Valencia. In France and Spain combined, approximately 270,000 people had been displaced by July 25.