Pedro Sánchez: "The scale of the disaster we are living through is very hard to accept"

Pedro Sánchez gives an update on the wildfires during his visit to the CECOD, 26 July, Navalcarnero - Copyright La Moncloa Copyright La Moncloa Published on 26/07/2026 - 11:58 GMT+2 The joint appearance by the unified command tackling the fires in Madrid, Ávila and Toledo and the prime minister underlined close cooperation. They urge the public to focus on prevention and act with caution. Spain's prime minister has thanked the media for their work in communicating accurate information and the public for their exemplary behaviour during these wildfires. Sánchez added that people needed to "exercise extreme caution". ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Sánchez said there were still "difficult hours of work ahead", although he confirmed that the work carried out overnight had been very positive. The president of the Castile and León region, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, described the cooperation between institutions as effective: "All the different tiers of government have been working together." Here is a summary of the situation regarding the wildfires in Spain as of 26 July 2026: The flames have already burned around 45,000 hectares and 100,000 people have been evacuated or confined to their homes in Madrid and Ávila. Portugal, Greece and Italy have joined the efforts to extinguish the severe wildfires in Madrid and Ávila. The fire in Vall d'Uixò, in the province of Castellón, now has a perimeter of 21 kilometres and has forced 16,000 people to evacuate or remain confined. The Interior Ministry has extended the national emergency to the province of Toledo because of the Almorox fire. Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME) has set up a unified command to fight the fires in Madrid and Ávila given the seriousness of the situation. Wildfires have devastated more than 152,000 hectares in Spain in 2026, six times more than in 2025. Go to accessibility shortcuts