Seyma Erkul Dayanc
17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026
Spain's largest wildfire of the year has burned around 12,000 hectares in the northeastern province of Zaragoza, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,100 people as firefighters continue battling the blaze, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE on Friday.
Authorities said the fire, which broke out Wednesday in the Cinco Villas region, remained "quite active," with "significant" spread overnight into Friday.
It has forced the evacuation of five municipalities in Zaragoza and one in the neighboring region of Navarre.
The fire has spread across a perimeter of around 60 kilometers (37 miles), while several roads remain closed.
Electricity has been restored to all affected towns.
Around 400 ground personnel and 19 aircraft were deployed to battle the fire on Thursday, with firefighters focusing overnight on protecting homes in Uncastillo.
Elsewhere, a wildfire in La Mierla in the northern province of Guadalajara also remained active after burning around 900 hectares, prompting evacuations and lockdown measures in nearby communities.
The regional government requested the deployment of Spain's Military Emergency Unit, which sent around 100 personnel to assist firefighting operations.
A third wildfire near Lozoyuela, north of Madrid, was progressing favorably but remained neither under control nor fully contained, according to emergency services.
The blaze has burned nearly 70 hectares.
Authorities said parts of the Cinco Villas region remained under lockdown, while two roads in the area stayed closed.
The Civil Guard arrested a man suspected of starting the Madrid-region fire, and the regional government said it would join the legal proceedings as a civil party.
High temperatures, strong winds, low humidity and abundant vegetation following a rainy spring have reportedly contributed to the spread of the fires.
Experts also cite climate change and the abandonment of rural areas as factors increasing wildfire risk.
