Spain: Wildfires ravaging Madrid region force evacuation of thousands of people

"We've never experienced anything like this. It's catastrophic. Our priority is to save lives." That was the strong message from the president of the Community of Madrid, Spain, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, when referring to the fires that are devastating much of the southwestern part of her region and have forced more than 19,000 people to evacuate their homes.

Given the gravity of the situation, Díaz Ayuso asked the Spanish government to activate a national emergency plan. The Ministry of the Interior granted the request, implementing this protocol in the Madrid region and in the neighboring province of Ávila, which belongs to the region of Castile and León.

"For a region like this, with a high concentration of homes and people, it is a catastrophe," Díaz Ayuso stated.

The Spanish government requested the activation of the European Union's (EU) civil protection mechanism. Two allied countries, Greece and Italy, responded to the call by sending four water bombers — two from each country.

In recent hours, the fire has spread: adverse weather conditions — including extreme heat and strong gusts of wind — combined with the dry terrain have caused the flames to spread at a speed that is uncontrollable for emergency services working around the clock.

Furthermore, the three active fire fronts have merged, further exacerbating the situation and threatening more towns.

France ablaze

In France, the fires show no signs of letting up either. In the southwest of the country, in the Bordeaux region — famous for its vineyards — the flames forced residents and tourists to flee. The latest reports estimate that 40,000 people have had to be evacuated. The same is true in the southeast.

Just as Spain did, French President Emmanuel Macron activated a national emergency plan due to the intensity of the fires. The EU reported that it sent three water-bombing aircraft to fight the fires.