Lorraine Williamson
A major wildfire sweeping through Las Hurdes in northern Extremadura has crossed into Salamanca province after burning an estimated 2,200 hectares and forcing around 700 people from their homes.
The emergency worsened again on Wednesday evening when authorities ordered residents of Nuñomoral to remain indoors as flames approached Cerezal. The fire has now entered Castilla y León near Vegas de Domingo Rey, bringing firefighting resources from both regions into the operation.
The fire began around midday on Tuesday, 18 August, in the Pinofranqueado area of Cáceres and spread rapidly through pine forest and difficult mountainous terrain.
By Wednesday, 12 population centres had been evacuated, with around 700 people displaced. The affected communities include small villages and alquerías scattered across Las Hurdes, making access and protection particularly challenging for emergency crews.
Some evacuees have been accommodated at the student residence in Caminomorisco. The emergency operation has also included the evacuation of residents with severe disabilities from El Cottolengo at La Fragosa, who were transferred to centres in Plasencia.
Nuñomoral confined as fire threatens Cerezal
The situation deteriorated again on Wednesday evening as the north-eastern flank of the fire advanced towards Cerezal.
Authorities ordered the confinement of Nuñomoral, with an ES-Alert emergency warning sent to mobile phones in the area. Residents were instructed to remain inside, close doors and windows and follow directions from emergency services.
The measure was introduced because of concern about the fire’s behaviour around Cerezal and the surrounding valley. The regional government had already warned that the terrain and vegetation could produce particularly aggressive fire behaviour if the flames entered the Valle de los Tejos.
Extremadura remains at Operational Situation 2 of INFOCAEX, reflecting the potential threat to people, property and infrastructure.
Fire crosses from Extremadura into Salamanca
Another major development came on Wednesday evening when the fire crossed the provincial and regional boundary into Salamanca.
The flames entered Castilla y León in the area of Vegas de Domingo Rey, in the municipality of Agallas. Castilla y León subsequently classified the fire at Potential Severity Index 1 and deployed additional resources to the area.
Around 30 resources from Castilla y León were reported to be participating on the Salamanca side, working to contain the new front and prevent further spread.
The crossing is particularly significant because the fire is no longer solely an Extremadura emergency. Two autonomous communities are now directly involved in containing it.
More than 200 personnel have been involved in the wider operation, supported during daylight hours by around two dozen aircraft. The Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME) is among the national resources deployed.
Authorities suspect fire was deliberately started
The circumstances surrounding the outbreak are also under investigation.
Extremadura’s vice-president and regional emergency minister, Abel Bautista, said on Wednesday that authorities believe there is a “99%” probability that the fire was deliberately started.
That assessment does not amount to a completed criminal investigation, and no individual has been publicly identified as responsible. The suspected deliberate origin should therefore be treated as the regional government’s current assessment rather than an established judicial finding.
The statement came as officials confirmed that the fire had affected approximately 2,200 hectares, much of it pine forest.
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Homes damaged as residents remain displaced
The wildfire has already caused property damage. At least three homes in Avellanar have reportedly been destroyed, although no deaths have been reported in connection with the fire.
The evacuation operation has affected communities across the municipalities of Pinofranqueado and Nuñomoral. Many residents have now spent a second night away from their homes.
Emergency teams face another difficult period overnight. Aircraft cannot operate after dark, leaving ground crews to defend communities, strengthen containment lines and monitor areas where wind changes could alter the direction of the fire.
The priority overnight is the north-eastern front around Cerezal and Nuñomoral, together with preventing the section that has entered Salamanca from developing into a larger fire front.
With hundreds of residents still unable to return home and Nuñomoral under confinement, the Las Hurdes wildfire remains one of Spain’s most serious active fire emergencies heading into Thursday.