World Central Kitchen (WCK) has mobilized emergency food relief for Spain’s Avila province after a major wildfire forced people from their homes. The humanitarian organization has partnered with local restaurants to feed displaced families and first responders as authorities battle what they describe as the province’s worst wildfire in 50 years.
World Central Kitchen provides hot meals amid raging Avila wildfires
According to an X post, World Central Kitchen said its network of local restaurants has begun providing hot meals to families displaced by wildfires in Avila, Spain. The nonprofit is leaning on its longtime partner Chef Carlos Casillas and team of volunteers to provide meals for displaced individuals and first responders.
WCK is responding in the central Spanish province of Ávila, where wildfires are again forcing families out of their homes. Flames and smoke pose a risk to thousands of community members. As first responders work to contain the fire in central Spain, WCK is working with local… pic.twitter.com/qv90RE7ns0
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) July 23, 2026
The organization noted that flames and heavy smoke continue to threaten thousands of residents in the region, adding that food support remains critical.
“World Central Kitchen is responding in Avila, Spain, where wildfires have once again forced families out of their homes,” read a statement. “As first responders work to contain the fire, WCK teams are mobilizing to make sure people have the food they need.”
The wildfires, currently ravaging 32,734 acres across the Madrid region, have forced over 10,000 people from their homes. Spanish authorities have since declared a national emergency as first responders grapple to contain the blaze.
“The government has deployed every available resource to stop the terrible fires currently affecting numerous areas,” said Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
WCK leans on previous experience to deliver crucial aid
Meanwhile, the World Central Kitchen has reiterated its readiness to provide crucial aid to affected persons in the region. In a video message, the nonprofit disclosed that its preparations for the wildfire intervention began weeks before the declaration of a national emergency.
The nonprofit also added that it strengthened its distribution systems, identifying vulnerable areas and analyzing risks to maintain a heightened state of readiness. The WCK successfully tested its systems in Almeria, where wildfires displaced thousands of families from their homes.
Back in 2025, the World Central Kitchen provided meals to first responders and displaced families in the Avila region. Furthermore, in 2024, the nonprofit responded to devastating flooding in Valencia, providing over 6 million hot meals in weeks.
Outside of Europe, the organization has increased its footprint in Gaza, providing thousands of meals per day to residents. Meanwhile, WCK has provided food in cyclone-hit Madagascar, but drying funding sources threaten the aid effort.