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Fire risk forces cancellation of eclipse activities in Tres Cantos
The total solar eclipse due on 12 August continues to generate enormous anticipation in the Community of Madrid, but also intense debate. The high risk of forest fires has led Tres Cantos City Council to cancel all the activities it had prepared for the occasion, while neighbourhood platforms are demanding that the events planned in the Sierra Norte should not take place either.
Tres Cantos has thus become the first municipality in Madrid to cancel its special programming for safety reasons. The council believes that high temperatures, dry ground, and the situation following recent fires make it inadvisable to gather hundreds of people in natural areas. Even so, it will continue to distribute free certified glasses to those who wish to observe the phenomenon on their own.
The controversy has now shifted to the Sierra Norte, home to some of the best eclipse viewing spots. The Monte en Pie platform has called for the suspension of planned activities, arguing that the arrival of tens of thousands of visitors could increase the risk of fires and make evacuation more difficult in an emergency.
For now, the Comunidad de Madrid is maintaining its planned programming. The regional government says that participating municipalities have safety plans in place and that Protección Civil, emergency, and traffic control resources will be reinforced to manage the large crowds expected on the day.
Firefighter and forest ranger unions and professional associations have also called for maximum caution. They remind the public that the risk of fire remains very high and recommend avoiding unnecessary car journeys, respecting designated parking areas, and not entering forest areas outside authorised routes.
The eclipse on 12 August will be one of the most important astronomical events in recent decades and will attract thousands of people to the region. Precisely because of this exceptional nature, authorities stress that enjoying the phenomenon also means doing so responsibly, following safety instructions and avoiding any behaviour that could endanger a natural environment that is especially vulnerable in the height of summer.