Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Wildfires continued to spread across parts of Spain on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate or remain indoors as firefighters battled multiple blazes.
Authorities said the fires in the Community of Madrid and neighboring Avila province had scorched about 45,000 hectares and affected more than 88,000 people.
Thousands of residents were either evacuated or ordered to stay inside their homes, while at least 10 roads in Madrid remained closed because of the fires.
The Spanish government urged the public to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and wear face masks due to heavy smoke affecting several communities.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union was sending four firefighting aircraft from its rescEU fleet to support Spain’s response. Emergency mapping services were also deployed to assist firefighting operations.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected areas and warned that conditions remained unpredictable despite lower temperatures. He said shifting winds continued to pose a challenge to containment efforts.
Additional wildfires broke out in Granada and Castellon, prompting emergency measures, including a lockdown in one town and the deployment of aircraft and ground crews to prevent the fires from spreading further.
Spanish authorities said about 130,000 hectares had already burned nationwide since January, exceeding the average annual area destroyed by wildfires over the past decade.