More than 60,000 people were evacuated due to forest fires in the autonomous community of Madrid and the province of Avila, the fire covered about 20,000 hectares, RTVE reported.
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Yesterday, Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlasca declared a national emergency in the autonomous community of Madrid and the province of Avila due to the spread of forest fires.
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“The fire has already covered about 20 thousand hectares, 60 thousand people had to be evacuated. In particular, about 50,000 are in the Madrid region and 13,000 in Avila,” the broadcaster reports.
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According to him, the fires are moving towards El Escorial, and the UME military emergency management unit is working to protect the area.
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The main threat remains the possible unification of hotbeds in Madrid and Avila. So far, this has not happened, and the expected weakening of the wind, increased humidity and lower temperatures can help firefighters contain the spread of the fire.
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Residents were evacuated from a number of municipalities to the west of the Spanish capital, and in three more settlements there is an order not to leave their homes. 14 temporary accommodation facilities have been opened in the region, where more than two thousand people are staying.
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It is noted that four firefighting aircraft from Greece and Italy are due to arrive in Spain on Saturday, sent after the activation of the EU civil protection mechanism.
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Earlier, the Spanish government requested EU assistance in fighting forest fires. An extremely high level of fire danger remains throughout Spain.
