Raging Wildfires In Spain: Madrid Region Faces Biggest Blaze on Record

Powerful winds are complicating efforts to control out-of-control wildfires in Spain's Madrid region. Over 30,000 residents have evacuated, making it the region's worst fire in history. Favorable overnight weather conditions have assisted firefighting efforts, as thick smoke clouds the skies. In total, more than 9,000 hectares have burned.

On Saturday, winds in Spain are expected to rise, reaching speeds of up to 60 kph (38 mph), which will exacerbate efforts to control wildfires near Madrid, the Interior Ministry cautioned.

Currently, two previously separate wildfires in the Madrid region have merged into one massive blaze, although they haven’t yet combined with another fire in nearby Avila, Castilla y Leon.

More than 30,000 individuals in the Madrid region have been evacuated, and over 20,000 are confined to their homes, according to the ministry—a situation officials have declared the worst fire in the region's history. Overnight, improved weather conditions aided firefighting efforts.