José Fernández, a 74-year-old pensioner, is confronting the total loss of his property after a fierce wildfire tore through his town of Pelayos de la Presa, located west of Madrid. Standing amidst the debris, Fernández described the grim reality: "I have no money, no documents, no home." Where his residence once stood, there is now only a landscape of burnt furniture, half-collapsed walls, and mountains of ash.
The blaze advanced from the San Juan reservoir area, one of the worst-hit parts of this municipality, which relies on tourists drawn by the water and the beauty of its natural surroundings. As the flames approached late last week, many residents were forced to evacuate. While some evacuation orders were lifted on Tuesday, allowing citizens to return, the village remains half-empty as families grapple with the aftermath. Readers can view a map to see where wildfires are currently raging in Spain.
Fernández, who lived in his home with his wife for 35 years, recounted a tense standoff during the blaze. He recalled a Civil Guard officer arriving to order his departure, an interaction he described as "rudely" handled. Refusing to leave his property, he told the officer, "You don't know what you're doing. I'm a 74-year-old man and I'm here standing my ground." He added that he had spent his life putting out fires in his youth with simple tools, though this inferno proved insurmountable.
The destruction extended beyond the main house to a large yard where Fernández kept the tools and materials from his decades of work. The fire claimed the contents of a bar he once owned, a construction van, and various plumbing and appliance repair tools. "This place has been reduced to a total ruin. We had the fireplace there. Just imagine," he told AFP, his voice breaking as he walked among the rubble.
The mayor of Pelayos de la Presa, Antonio Sin, characterized the fire that struck the town of 3,000 people as a "monster." Altogether, around 15 families lost their primary homes, and the priority now is to rehouse them. Along the streets, blackened houses stood beside others that were left untouched—a sign of how unpredictably the fire and the wind behaved. Mayor Sin noted that the recovery process will be a long-term effort, stating, "We have to solve one problem at a time, trying to assess their importance in order of priority and knowing that this work will take years."
For now, the town hall has provided accommodation for Fernández, while local friends and neighbors are offering support. Reflecting on the loss of his life's work, Fernández remarked, "This disaster is beyond comprehension."
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"I've put out many fires since I was a child. Where I come from, when a house caught fire, I went up the hill and put it out with buckets."
