Major wildfire near Zaragoza devastates more than 15,000 hectares

Orés – 19/07/2026: The major wildfire in the Cinco Villas region of the northeastern Spanish province of Zaragoza has destroyed an estimated 15,400 hectares of vegetation, according to the latest assessments. The fire broke out near Orés on Wednesday, July 15, and is considered the largest wildfire of Spain’s 2026 season in terms of area burned so far. The fire zone has a perimeter of approximately 60 kilometres.

Firefighting operations remain challenging due to the scale of the blaze. According to regional authorities and consistent media reports, the fire was not yet fully under control on Friday, July 17. Strong winds and very dry vegetation had fuelled its spread during the first few days. Hundreds of firefighters, as well as numerous firefighting aircraft and helicopters, were deployed in the affected mountainous and forested region.

Several localities had to be evacuated as a precaution. Those affected included Orés, Asín, Luesia, Malpica de Arba and Uncastillo in the province of Zaragoza, as well as Petilla de Aragón in the neighbouring region of Navarre. Thousands of people were temporarily affected by restrictions because access roads were closed or stays in threatened areas were prohibited.

Command teams initially focused on protecting homes and transport routes and preventing the flames from spreading to further settlements. During the night, crews worked particularly along the edges of the burned area. The exact cause of the fire was initially not officially known. The latest reports contained no information on possible injuries or fatalities linked to this blaze.

The fire has struck Aragon during a period of exceptional summer heat and severe drought. Under such weather conditions, fires can spread rapidly through scrubland, pine forests and difficult-to-access valleys. Shifting wind directions make planning more difficult for emergency crews, as embers and sparks can ignite new fire fronts some distance away.

Authorities continue to regard the destroyed area as a preliminary assessment. Satellite images from the European Earth observation programme Copernicus documented the vast scale of the affected landscape as early as July 17. The figures may change once the fire boundaries have been fully mapped and it has been determined which areas suffered permanent damage.

For Spain, the fire near Orés is another severe stress test at the beginning of the peak season for vegetation fires. The key question in the coming days will be whether firefighters can permanently contain the areas that remain active. Authorities are urging residents and travellers in the surrounding area to follow official instructions, avoid closed roads and refrain from activities that could trigger new fires.