Spain wildfires scorch nearly 62,000 acres, affecting over 60,000 people

The ongoing wildfires in Spain’s Community of Madrid and Avila province have burned nearly 25,000 hectares (61,775 acres) and affected more than 63,000 people, the daily El Pais reported Saturday.

According to the latest figures released by the Interior Ministry, the wildfires in Madrid and Avila have already burned nearly 25,000 hectares. While Avila accounts for between 13,000 to 15,000 hectares (32,100-37,000 acres) of the burned area, Madrid’s toll stands at 9,940 hectares (24,560 acres).

The two fires have reportedly affected more than 63,000 people, with over 30,000 evacuated and more than 20,000 confined to their homes in Madrid. In Avila, 5,150 people were evacuated, while 8,635 remain confined.

Visiting the affected areas, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that the fire situation remained complex.

“We don’t know how the wind will develop, even though temperatures have dropped,” he said.

He further warned that around 130,000 hectares (321,237 acres) had already burned since January, compared to an average of 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) for the entire year over the last decade.

Around 100 employees of NASA’s Deep Space Communications Complex in Madrid reportedly had to be evacuated on Friday due to the advancing flames.

According to data reported by El Pais, the number of hectares burned in Spain over the past two weeks jumped sharply as fires spread rapidly and became concentrated in specific areas.

The last two weeks of July are reportedly the fourth-worst streak of large wildfires since 1983.