Wildfire forces evacuation of NASA and ESA deep-space antennas in Madrid, operations shifted to California
The wildfire sweeping through the Sierra Oeste of Madrid crossed the NASA Deep Space Communications Complex in Robledo de Chavela on 24 July 2026, forcing the evacuation of all 90 staff. Nearby, ESA's Cebreros station remained inaccessible on 25 July as the blaze continued to burn.
A fast-moving wildfire in the Madrid region has disrupted two of the world's most important deep-space communication hubs, triggering evacuations and transferring critical mission operations to a backup site in California. The NASA complex in Robledo de Chavela and ESA's station in Cebreros both lie in the path of a fire that has already forced more than 60,000 people from their homes.
Evacuation and fire's advance
On Friday 24 July, personnel at NASA's Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex (MDSCC) began to leave in the morning as smoke thickened. By 17:30, the Guardia Civil ordered the last workers and security staff out. Lola Cadierno, executive assistant to the NASA representative in Spain, described the uncertainty.
We cannot confirm that the flames have reached it, because we don't have anyone inside.
All 90 employees were accounted for and unharmed. The NASA public affairs office later confirmed that the fire did cross the facility, though damage remains unknown because no one has been able to re-enter the site.
ESA station also in the fire zone
ESA's deep-space station in Cebreros, Ávila province, was similarly cut off. In a statement on Saturday 25 July, the agency said it had no physical access and could not carry out an on-site inspection. Based on available information, however, no damage had been observed. Spanish emergency services were present as the fire approached.
We want to express our most sincere thanks for their professionalism, dedication and tireless effort under extremely difficult circumstances.
ESA confirmed all staff were safe and located, though many remained affected by restrictions preventing them from reaching their homes or by concern for relatives fighting the fire.
A linchpin of interplanetary communications
The Madrid complex is one of three nodes that make up NASA's Deep Space Network, the others being Goldstone in California and Canberra in Australia. The sites are positioned so that Earth's rotation never interrupts contact with distant spacecraft for long. Robledo de Chavela's six antennas, including one 70-metre dish and several 34-metre dishes, have tracked missions to Mars and beyond for more than six decades. In April 2024, all six antennas coordinated for the first time to receive a faint signal from Voyager 1, then more than 24,000 million kilometres from Earth. The complex also houses a museum that contains a lunar rock sample gifted by the United States after Apollo 11. The ESA station in Cebreros is part of that agency's own deep-space tracking network.
- Some workers sent home as smoke thickens; reduced team remains on site.
- Guardia Civil orders evacuation of last workers and security staff; 90 employees leave safely.
- Fire enters the NASA complex; NASA and ESA confirm no injury, no damage assessment possible, operations shifted to Goldstone.
Operation continuity and next steps
NASA moved mission support seamlessly to its Goldstone complex in California, guaranteeing uninterrupted communications with spacecraft. "Any potential damage will be evaluated when it is safe to do so," the agency stated. ESA intends to assess its Cebreros station as soon as access can be safely restored. The Spanish government delegate in Madrid, Francisco Martín, described the situation at the NASA station as critical.
Right now we are doing the impossible to protect that antenna installation in Robledo de Chavela, a very important facility that is in a critical situation.
Both agencies are monitoring the fire in coordination with Spanish authorities and the US Embassy. The fire continues to move north, driven by wind, and remains active across western Madrid province and neighbouring Ávila.
