A wildfire near Madrid is “beyond the capacity” of firefighters to contain, Spanish officials have warned, after three fires west of the capital merged into a single blaze.
Spain’s government has declared a national emergency with 63,000 people told to evacuate or stay indoors, with the number told to flee totalling at least 25,000.
Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as the “worst fire in the history of the region”, with the area facing a “perfect storm” of high temperatures, relentless wind and merging fire fronts.
Meanwhile, around 140,000 people have been evacuated in south-west France after wildfires tore through the Gironde and Landes regions.
The fire changed direction later on Friday and was heading towards Bordeaux, with further evacuations expected. French President Emmanuel Macron has mobilised the military to assist the response.
In Spain, local emergency services said wildfires were moving towards the municipalities of Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Olivia, around 50km (31 miles) from the capital.
“The wildfire is at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain,” Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government’s emergency management chief, told reporters.
“It’s not possible to attack the fire in that area, so defensive measures are being taken,” he added.
Source:
www.bbc.co.uk
