A wildfire that originated in Guadalajara's Pico del Lobo area and spread into Segovia province has shown significant improvement, allowing evacuated residents to return to their homes. The communities of Riofrío de Riaza and the La Pinilla urbanization, which were evacuated on Sunday morning due to the advancing flames, have been cleared for return after emergency officials determined there is no longer risk to the population. The decision was made during Monday's meeting of the Cecopi (Integrated Operational Coordination Center), which continues to monitor the fire's evolution across the Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha regions.
The fire has burned approximately 200 hectares on the Segovian side of the border, primarily affecting forested areas in steep terrain according to Castilla y León's Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Planning. The perimeter of the blaze extends eight kilometers in Castilla y León, though firefighting efforts have proven effective in recent hours. Regional delegate Raquel Alonso credited the work of the INFOCAL operation and accumulated humidity with slowing the fire's advance during overnight operations.
Emergency response teams totaling approximately 300 personnel from Castilla y León's operations, the Military Emergency Unit (UME), and BRIF teams from the Ministry for Ecological Transition have successfully stabilized the fire's perimeter. José Ángel Arranz, Director General of Natural Heritage and Forest Policy, noted that despite the stabilization, the fire retains "much potential" due to the mountainous terrain and limited access routes for containing the blaze. The operation has required extensive manual firefighting work in challenging conditions.
While residents have been permitted to return, authorities maintain road closures on the SG-114 access road to La Pinilla from Riaza, as well as the SG-115 and SG-112 routes as precautionary measures. The fire continues at a Potential Severity Index (IGR) level 2, with unified command between the two autonomous communities remaining in place. Officials emphasized the need to consolidate the stabilization efforts throughout Monday to prepare for potential wind gusts that could challenge containment lines.
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