Wildfires in Toledo and Madrid Blanket Capital in Smoke and Ash

A forest fire that broke out at about 15:00 on Thursday near Méntrida in the province of Toledo forced authorities to declare Situación Operativa Nivel 1 and order residents of the nearby Calypo Fado housing estate in Casarrubios del Monte to remain indoors. The blaze generated a towering plume of smoke that drifted roughly 50 kilometres north, tinting the sky over Madrid orange and spreading the smell of burning across the capital. According to the Castilla-La Mancha wildfire service INFOCAM, up to 19 firefighting assets—seven to nine of them aircraft—were working alongside nine to ten ground crews, involving about 60 personnel. Madrid’s regional emergency plan supplied additional teams on the border near Aldea del Fresno, while city officials urged residents to avoid outdoor exercise because of “very poor” air quality. Separate to the Toledo wildfire, a warehouse blaze in the sector 6 area of Madrid’s Cañada Real forced the evacuation of several families and drew 14 units of the Madrid Fire Brigade. The fire was brought under control, but ash from both incidents blanketed neighbourhoods across the city. Emergency services treated two people for anxiety, and no serious injuries were reported.