Wildfires fuelled by strong winds and a scorching heatwave, have engulfed parts of Spain leading to the death of one man and the evacuation of thousands of people.
The head of the regional government of Madrid, Isabel Ayuso, said on X this Tuesday that she deeply regrets the man’s death which is the first fatality from the dozens of wildfires to have hit the country since the heatwave began last week.
Madrid’s regional environment chief, Carlos Novillo, says in barely 40 minutes, the fire advanced six kilometres, however regional officials say the fire was contained this Tuesday.
Elsewhere, about 2,000 people were evacuated from hotels and homes near the popular beaches of Tarifa in the southern region of Andalusia.
The interior minister in the regional government of Andalusia, Antonio Sanz, said they managed to save the residential area at the very last second.
The wildfires coincide with what meteorologists expect to be the most intense day yet of the ongoing heatwave, with all regions under weather alerts.