Spain's government declared a national emergency on Friday as a wave of wildfires, intensified by a heatwave, forced approximately 10,000 people to evacuate their homes in the central region of Madrid. The declaration places the national interior ministry in charge of overseeing firefighting efforts across Spain's regions.
The regional government of Madrid reported that individuals were evacuated from various villages as fires raged out of control. This year, Spain has already experienced over 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) consumed by flames. Among the significant incidents was a fire in the province of Guadalajara that burned approximately 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) in recent days, making it Spain's second-largest fire on record. Earlier this month, 13 fatalities were reported due to a fire in the southern part of the country.