Forest fires 2026: labor aid for companies, self-employed and affected workers

Key data

The forest fires declared a national emergency in July 2026 in Madrid, Ávila and Toledo have activated an extraordinary regime of labor and social protection. The Royal Decree-Law 20/2026, of July 29, published and in force since July 30, 2026, establishes a set of immediate measures for companies, self-employed, workers and cooperatives located in the affected municipalities. If your activity or that of your employees has been paralyzed or seriously disrupted, this decree enables concrete mechanisms to reduce labor costs and guarantee income during the emergency.

What does this regulation establish?

RDL 20/2026 articulates four major blocks of measures:

Additionally, the decree adopts exceptional procedural, notarial and registration measures: procedural deadlines are suspended from July 27 to 31, 2026 in the judicial districts of the affected territories. Specific measures are also contemplated for public sector personnel providing services in areas declared emergency.

Economic and operational impact

The two measures with the greatest direct economic impact for companies are the exemption from contributions in ERTE and the cessation of activity for self-employed without minimum contribution requirement.

• ERTE with exemption from contributions: Companies with authorized ERTE in affected municipalities can request exemption from employer contributions to Social Security. This represents direct savings in labor costs during the period of suspension or reduced hours, without workers seeing their social protection diminished.
• Cessation of activity for self-employed without minimum contributions: Normally, ordinary cessation of activity requires having contributed for at least 12 months. RDL 20/2026 eliminates this requirement for affected self-employed, allowing immediate access to the benefit regardless of time contributed.
• Extraordinary benefit for extreme emergency: Workers who cannot access their home or must attend evacuations and family care have the right to this benefit, which covers the situation of forced inactivity without consuming ordinary unemployment benefits.
• Suspension of procedural deadlines: From July 27 to 31, 2026, deadlines in the affected judicial districts are suspended, preventing involuntary expiration or preclusion during the emergency.

Who does it affect?

• Companies with work centers or activity in municipalities of Madrid, Ávila and Toledo declared national emergency in July 2026, especially if they have processed or will process an ERTE.
• Employees who cannot access their home or who must attend evacuations or care for family members due to the fires.
• Self-employed with activity in the affected municipalities who have seen their economic activity paralyzed or seriously disrupted.
• Working members of cooperatives located in the affected territories, who have access to the same measures as employees.
• Public sector personnel providing services in areas declared emergency.
• Professionals and companies with judicial, notarial or registration proceedings in the affected judicial districts, who benefit from the suspension of deadlines from July 27 to 31, 2026.

Practical example

A logistics company with a warehouse in a Toledo municipality declared a national emergency has 15 workers who cannot access their workplaces due to the ordered evacuation. The company can act on two fronts simultaneously:

1. Request an ERTE due to force majeure resulting from the fires. Once authorized, it can request the exemption from employer contributions to Social Security during the suspension period, reducing labor costs to zero in employer contributions while the measure lasts.
2. The affected workers who cannot access their home or must care for evacuated family members can request the extraordinary benefit for extreme emergency, receiving economic coverage without exhausting their ordinary unemployment benefit.

If additionally one of the company's partners is self-employed and has their activity paralyzed, they can request the extraordinary cessation of activity without needing to prove the 12 months of contributions required by the ordinary regime.

What should companies do now?

1. Verify if the municipality is included in the declaration of national emergency (Madrid, Ávila, Toledo). Check the official list in the BOE of July 30, 2026.
2. Process the ERTE urgently if activity is paralyzed or reduced. The contribution exemption only applies to authorized ERTEs, so the application deadline is decisive.
3. Inform affected workers of their right to the extraordinary benefit for extreme emergency, especially those who cannot access their home or must attend evacuations or family care.
4. Communicate to linked self-employed (partners, collaborators) the possibility of requesting extraordinary cessation of activity without proving a minimum contribution period.
5. Review procedural, notarial and registration deadlines in progress: if you have proceedings in affected judicial districts, deadlines are suspended from July 27 to 31, 2026. Coordinate with your legal advisor to avoid calculation errors.
6. Document all damages and impacts from the start: proving the impact will be necessary to justify applications to Social Security and other agencies.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-16543