MEDIA ALERT: How WCK Responds to Wildfires Across Spain

MADRID, Spain — As wildfires threaten communities across Spain, World Central Kitchen (WCK) is on the ground in Ávila, supporting first responders and families forced to evacuate with fresh meals prepared by local restaurant partners.

While firefighters work to contain what local authorities have described as the region’s worst wildfire in half a century, WCK has mobilized our network of local restaurants, including longtime partner Chef Carlos Casillas, to ensure impacted communities and emergency personnel have access to fresh meals.

The response comes just weeks after WCK concluded operations in the province of Almería, where wildfires forced thousands of families from their homes and claimed several lives. Last year, WCK also supported first responders and affected communities during wildfires in the Ávila region.

Recently appointed WCK Board Member Pepa Muñoz says preparedness is built long before the first emergency call arrives.

“The most important part of any response happens before a disaster begins. It’s about building relationships, understanding communities, and having trusted partners ready to act. When a wildfire starts, there is no time to build those networks—they must already be there.”

In recent years, increasingly severe heatwaves, prolonged drought, and extreme weather have contributed to larger and more frequent wildfires across the Iberian Peninsula. WCK enters each wildfire season with an established network of restaurant partners, volunteers, suppliers, and local contacts across key regions, allowing teams to mobilize quickly when fires occur.

WCK’s Response Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid serves as a strategic hub for emergency coordination, supporting the rapid deployment of response teams, equipment, communications systems, and operational resources throughout Spain.

According to Pepa, one of the biggest lessons from previous wildfire responses has been the importance of local partnerships.

“Every response teaches us something. One of the most valuable lessons is that local communities already have much of the knowledge and capacity needed to respond. Our role is to support them, strengthen those existing networks, and help ensure food reaches people quickly and with dignity.”

During wildfire emergencies, WCK works alongside local authorities, emergency services, restaurant partners, volunteers, and community organizations to establish meal distribution systems that can adapt as conditions change.

WCK’s model prioritizes fresh, culturally familiar meals prepared as close as possible to affected communities while supporting local restaurants, suppliers, and food producers.

“A meal is never just a meal,” said Pepa. “In the middle of an evacuation, after losing access to your home or your routine, a hot meal can provide comfort, reassurance, and a sense of normality. It tells people that they are not alone.”

As temperatures keep rising across southern Europe and wildfire risks increase, WCK is ready to support communities, first responders, and emergency personnel wherever fresh meals are needed.

For more information or media enquiries, please contact:  
Roberta Alves, Director of Media Relations at ralves@worldcentralkitchen.org or +1 202.400.7483
Our full media team is reachable at press@wck.org