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Madrid transfers more than 1,300 vulnerable people due to the fire
The fire affecting the southwestern Sierra of the Comunidad de Madrid has forced the activation of one of the largest social evacuation operations in recent years. More than 1,300 users of care homes and other centres have been transferred to safe facilities, while the advance of the flames disrupted life in several municipalities.
One of the most delicate moments was experienced in Cadalso de los Vidrios, where the 117 residents of centro Alena had to leave the building quickly. Many are dependent people or have health problems and were evacuated in ambulances and buses, protected with masks and, in some cases, with oxygen support or wheelchairs due to the presence of smoke.
The Comunidad de Madrid coordinated the transfer of 1,308 people from different social centres. Many of those evacuated were received at Casablanca de Vicálvaro, where they found temporary accommodation while emergency teams continued working in the affected area.
Families also experienced hours of uncertainty. Some relatives followed the progress of the fire on their mobile phones until communications began to fail, while others tried to approach the residences without success due to road closures. Peace of mind came when they were able to confirm that all the elderly had been evacuated without personal injury.
Coordination between the centres was key to completing the transfer in just a few hours. Along with the residents, medical records, treatments, medication and IT equipment were transported to guarantee continuity of healthcare from the very first moment.
The Consejería de Familia, Juventud y Asuntos Sociales set up an assessment centre to organise the distribution of the most vulnerable people. In addition to Vicálvaro, other centres in the region took in residents from facilities evacuated in municipalities such as Chapinería y Villamantilla.
While firefighters continue working to control the fire, the social operation remains active to support those who have had to leave their homes or residences. The emergency has tested the response capacity of care services and the coordination between administrations, professionals and specialised centres.
The scene leaves an unusual image: residences reorganised in a matter of hours, professionals doubling their efforts, and families waiting for a call to confirm their elderly relatives were safe. In the midst of the fire, this speed of response has become one of the most important parts of the operation.