It’s been five days since wildfires began tearing through the forests in the western part of Spain’s Madrid region.
Since then, nearly 30,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, many of them now sleeping in sports centers and makeshift shelters.
Since leaving her home last Thursday, Lorz has stayed in three different temporary shelters. She is now at the Villamanta Sports Center, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the city of Madrid.
“We had to run out with nothing but the clothes we had on,” she says calmly. “The only things I managed to grab were my medications,” she adds, holding several boxes of paracetamol and omeprazole.
She says she relies on them to ease the pain from arthritis and a shoulder injury she suffered years ago.
In total, this temporary shelter, set up by local authorities, is housing around 250 people. Among rows of folding beds and bunk cots, some evacuees walk around — some frustrated, others resigned.
For now, many are simply trying to pass the time and remain patient. Some moments they keep their spirits up; at others, the emotional toll becomes overwhelming, Lorz says.
Either way, everyone is hoping that Monday will finally bring some good news— at the very least, permission to return home.