The Community of Madrid will allocate one million euros for owners of plots near forests to replace leylandii with safer species. The measure is announced a year after the Tres Cantos fire.
The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has announced a new line of aid of one million euros for owners of plots close to forest areas to replace leylandii plants in their enclosures with fire-resistant varieties. The announcement was made during a visit to a family in Tres Cantos who lost their home in last year's fire and have now fully recovered it.
“Experience has taught us that leylandii and other resinous species used to enclose plots propagate fire,” explained the head of the regional government, who was accompanied by the Minister of Environment. The measure aims to enhance the safety of homes and reduce the risks of fire spread in the urban-forest interface.
First region to ban its planting
Additionally, the regional government will modify the Forestry and Nature Protection Law to prohibit the planting of leylandii and resinous species in a 400-metre strip in urban-forest interface areas. With this change, the Community of Madrid will become the first region in Spain to adopt this measure.
The regulatory change also aims to strengthen the role of Madrid's forests as essential spaces for biodiversity conservation, carbon fixation, soil protection, and water cycle regulation.
In the Tres Cantos fire, which occurred last July, one person died and nearly 2,000 hectares were burned. In the most affected urbanisations, leylandii hedges contributed to the rapid spread of the fire, as happened in the home visited by Díaz Ayuso.
Since then, and in collaboration with the Tres Cantos City Council, efforts have been made to replace these species in the damaged plots. Through IMIDRA, 3,400 plants have been delivered, including 1,600 native specimens such as strawberry trees, hawthorns, blackthorns, rockroses, laurels, cork oaks, and spiny shrubs.
Upcoming actions in the Sierra Oeste
Díaz Ayuso highlighted the work of technicians in the Sierra Oeste, where the terrain is already being analysed with advanced tools to assess damage to the forest mass. “The severity of each impact, the characteristics of the vegetation, and the potential erosion risks are being studied to see where urgent action is needed,” she pointed out.
To this end, high-resolution satellite images and vegetation mapping are being used. “Next week, we will urgently begin the work of removing trees and creating safety strips along the forest tracks of the mountains we manage,” she announced.
Furthermore, the regional government plans to open a call for aid worth 1.12 million euros for owners of land affected by this year's fires, such as those in Lozoyuela and the Sierra Oeste, with two lines of action: forest management and damage restoration.
Restoration of Monte de Viñuelas
In the year since the fire, the Community of Madrid has completed the restoration of 116 hectares of Monte de Viñuelas that suffered severe damage. The action, initiated in October 2025, has involved an investment of 403,198 euros and has been carried out over four months.
This natural space of 308 hectares is part of the Regional Park of the Upper Manzanares Basin, the Natura 2000 Network, and the Biosphere Reserve. The fire severely affected 263.14 hectares, more than 85% of its area. The work has focused on halting erosion, preventing the washout of ashes into waterways, and facilitating the regrowth of oaks.
Refuges for reptiles and amphibians, small ponds, natural barriers of logs, and ditches to retain runoff have also been created. Large burned trees have been preserved to serve as perches for birds.
This intervention is part of the MADFIRE project by IMIDRA, with an investment of 173,560 euros, which studies pathogens that may affect plant recovery. Additionally, 21 Colmenareña breed sheep have been provided to affected livestock farms from Finca La Chimenea (Aranjuez) to replenish the lost flock.
“The most important thing is that behind every fire there are people, families, homes, animals, memories, and life projects,” assured Díaz Ayuso, who remembered all those affected by the fires in Spain this summer.
The president insisted that the regional government “continues to work” and “will not leave” the victims alone. The aid for the removal of leylandii will be available soon, and interested parties will be able to apply through the Ministry of Environment.
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