‘It’s a hell of a situation’: Spain grapples with major wildfires

The Madrid region is currently under a red weather warning, with temperatures expected to reach 35C in mountainous areas and 38C in other parts of the community.

In its latest update, the national government’s delegation in Madrid said the fire “remains active and uncontrolled”.

“Today’s efforts will focus on surveillance and cooling the affected areas in anticipation of the forecast worsening of weather conditions,” it added.

Around 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) have been affected by the fires in Spain, according to the minister for ecological transition, Sara Aagesen.

The wildfire burning in the Ávila area was the largest in the country’s recent history, she added.

In Ávila, where more than 50,000 hectares have burned down since the start of the wildfires, the government’s representative said the fire had a “quite favourable” evolution overnight.

Nicanor Sen, however, said there had been “small flare-ups” that were now being monitored by emergency services.

Meanwhile, the government of Valencia lifted a lockdown order for the town of Vall D’Uixo after a fire broke out of 25 July, forcing some 16,000 from 20 municipalities to evacuate.

In neighbouring Portugal, firefighters are tackling a large fire on three active fronts in the eastern Guarda area.