Spanish firefighters contain wildfire near Madrid after six days
More than 600 firefighters and emergency personnel managed to stop the fire’s spread toward Soria overnight; the blaze has burned 29,000 hectares and forced around 1,200 people to evacuate.
Firefighters in Spain have made progress in battling a large wildfire that has been burning for six days northeast of Madrid. Thanks to the efforts of more than 600 firefighters and emergency workers overnight, the fire’s advance toward the province of Soria has been practically halted.
Emiliano García-Page, president of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said “we now see light at the end of the tunnel.” The fire, which started on Thursday about 60 kilometers northeast of Madrid, spread rapidly, forcing the evacuation of approximately 1,200 people from over 30 settlements.
Authorities estimate that 29,000 hectares have been scorched. Spanish media report that nearly 50 firefighting aircraft and helicopters have been deployed. The operation is being hampered by heat and strong winds; a third heatwave of the summer began Wednesday in Spain, though the state weather agency AEMET forecasts it will last only about three days.
Spain, Portugal, and several other European countries have been battling a series of major wildfires in recent weeks. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), wildfires in Spain have already destroyed more than 115,000 hectares since the start of the year.
