Firefighters battle Madrid blaze, as thousands evacuated in France and Spain

A wildfire near Madrid is “beyond the capacity” of firefighters to contain, Spanish officials have warned, after three fires west of the capital merged into a single blaze.

Spain’s government has declared a national emergency after blazes spun out of control in several areas close to Madrid, prompting the evacuation of at least 30,000 people.

Madrid’s regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso described it as the “worst fire in the history of the region”, with the area facing a “perfect storm” of high temperatures, relentless wind and merging fire fronts.

Meanwhile, more than 110,000 people have been evacuated in south-west France after wildfires tore through the Gironde and Landes regions.

The fire changed direction later on Friday and was heading towards Bordeaux, with further evacuations expected. French President Emmanuel Macron has mobilised the military to assist the response.

In Spain, local emergency services said wildfires were moving towards the municipalities of Robledo de Chavela and Fresnedillas de la Olivia, around 50km (31 miles) from the capital.

“The wildfire is at its peak and is currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain,” Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government’s emergency management chief, told reporters.

“It’s not possible to attack the fire in that area, so defensive measures are being taken,” he added.