Spain Evacuates 7,000 More as Wildfires Spread

Spanish authorities have ordered another 7,000 residents west of Madrid to evacuate as strong winds and extreme heat continue to fuel massive wildfires. Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government's emergency management chief, said the blaze remained out of control, according to the Aawsat website.

The evacuation orders and shelter-in-place measures have now affected about 26,000 people, forcing residents either to leave their homes or remain indoors with windows closed.

Two separate fires have merged into a single blaze that now threatens to spread to another wildfire in the neighboring region of Castile and León. The fire has destroyed dozens of homes and forced the closure of several roads.

Police have arrested a man suspected of starting the fire by using farm equipment in violation of a fire ban. A second person is also under investigation.

The Spanish government has declared a state of national emergency in the Madrid region and the province of Ávila, allowing additional resources to be deployed, including a military emergency unit. Regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso described the disaster as the worst wildfire in Madrid's history.

(mja)