Thousands of people have been evacuated as out-of-control wildfires sweep Spain, with an appeal made for international help as the country faces further extreme temperatures.
Images show firefighters tackling huge blazes moving through tinder-dry vegetation in central Spain, with the government declaring a national emergency today.
Extreme Temperatures and Fire Danger
Temperatures in excess of 40°C are expected, with the Spanish weather agency AEMET stating: "Today, the fire danger will remain very high or extreme across most of the territory despite the drop in temperatures."
Forest fires are especially out of control in the Madrid autonomous region and the province of Avila, where more than 11,500 people have been evacuated. The government has requested help from the European Union, specifically aircraft for firefighters.
Prime Minister's Response
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the situation dramatic. "We are living through a dramatic situation, not only in various Spanish provinces but also in regions of neighbouring countries," he wrote on X.
"Forest fires are ravaging thousands of hectares and affecting numerous communities. I want to extend my full solidarity to all the people who are watching as the fire scorches their woodlands and threatens their homes."
Active Fires and Evacuations
In the Castilla and León region, there are nine active fires, with the one in Burgohondo, in Ávila, particularly serious. Three towns are in lockdown and more than 1,500 people have been evacuated from the area.
“In my 60 years I have never seen something like this in my village, I have never seen fire of these dimensions,” Francisco Martínez, the mayor of Burgohondo, whose 1,500 residents were preventively evacuated, told Spain’s national broadcaster TVE.
Firefighting Efforts
Spain’s military emergency brigades and national firefighting brigades have mobilized to support regional firefighting units and water-dumping aircraft.
The wildfire in Avila broke out on Wednesday and advanced at a speed of 30km per hour in 40 minutes yesterday. It has destroyed the Iruelas Valley Nature Reserve, devastating an important colony of black vultures.
The Madrid Health Service has at least six hundred hospital beds on standby for those affected by the wildfires, with an emergency plan put in place between hospitals and health centres.
Broader Impact
Spain has seen over 100,000 hectares already burned this year, including its second-largest ever fire that consumed some 32,000 hectares in recent days in the province of Guadalajara. Thirteen people were killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month, including seven British people.
Meanwhile, authorities in southwestern France on Friday ordered more mass evacuations on the Atlantic coast because of large wildfires. An estimated 40,000 people have been driven from their homes over the past two days in the region.
More than 87 square kilometers have been burned by the blaze that has been raging since Wednesday near the touristic Cap Ferret peninsula. Some people were forced to flee by boat.
France has also requested the activation of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism along with Spain. “We will soon be able to rely on reinforcements including two Croatian Canadair firefighting aircraft, two Portuguese Air Tractor aircraft, and two heavy-lift Black Hawk helicopters from the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.
