Married with two children, this 50-year-old man is the only person to have died from the voracious fire that spread rapidly through the Madrid mountains yesterday.

The night Tres Cantos faced the fire: I ran away, afraid of never returning

Mircea Spiridon was born in Romania 50 years ago and died yesterday in Tres Cantos, the town he arrived to almost two decades ago with the firm intention of supporting his family. Married with two children, ages 14 and 18, this mechanic by profession and owner of a transport company is the only person killed in the raging fire that swept through Madrid's mountains yesterday. Although his death today fills the entire town with sadness, his family is proud to know that he died trying to save others: an 83-year-old man, owner of the riding stables razed to the ground, where Mircea helped with some tasks; and the nearly twenty horses that were completely burned to death.

It was at 7:45 p.m. when a brush fire broke out, quickly fueled by the day's circumstances. It was what professionals often call the"rule of 30": temperatures above 30 degrees, relative humidity below 30 percent, and winds exceeding 30 kilometers per hour. Suddenly, a large area of land adjacent to a newly built residential area was engulfed in a sea of flames."It was an advance like we'd never seen before," said Carlos Novillo, Regional Minister of Environment, Agriculture, and the Interior of the Community of Madrid, referring to the six-kilometer spread in just 40 minutes.

And there, in the middle of the line of fire that stretched from the epicenter to the Soto de Viñuelas residential area, was the riding school. Surrounded and unable to call for help (the nearest houses are half a mile away), Mircea didn't hesitate: he entered the stables to try to free the animals, a commendable move that ended in the worst possible outcome. Later that night, a Civil Guard helicopter rescued him, still barely alive. He had burns over 98 percent of his body and could barely breathe due to smoke inhalation.

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He was immediately transferred by SUMMA 112 to La Paz Hospital, where on Tuesday he was unable to recover from the severity of his injuries, and doctors were only able to confirm his death. His condition when he was transferred to La Paz Hospital was difficult, and, unfortunately, we must mourn his loss and his death, the mayor of Tres Cantos, Jesús Moreno, explained this morning. A fatal outcome that at least did not occur in the case of the injured octogenarian, who remains hospitalized at the same hospital suffering from chest trauma.

Until the very end, he demonstrated the great person he was, and he will always be in our hearts, according to his closest circle, who have set up a bank account for all neighbors and friends who wish to help Mircea's family at this time. Those interested can also donate until the end of August at a bar in the Tri-Cantin municipality, located less than two kilometers from the scene of the tragedy.