Spain wildfires burn nearly 62,000 acres, affect over 60,000 people

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, El País reported. While Avila accounts for 13,000-15,000 hectares of the burned area, Madrid's toll stands at 9,940 hectares, with over 30,000 evacuated.

Warnings and Evacuations

Visiting the affected areas, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the fire situation remained complex: "We don't know how the wind will develop, even though temperatures have dropped." Around 100 employees of NASA's Deep Space Communications Complex were evacuated on Friday due to advancing flames. Since January, around 130,000 hectares have burned, compared to a decade average of 100,000 hectares for the entire year.

Worst Streak Since 1983

The last two weeks of July represent the fourth-worst streak of large wildfires since 1983, according to El País. The fires have forced thousands to flee their homes and remain a major challenge for emergency services.