Massive flames north of Madrid remain uncontrollable, 28 localities evacuated and over 260,000 hectares reduced to ashes

A powerful fire, which started a few days ago about 100 kilometers north of the Spanish capital, continues to spread uncontrollably, consuming more than 260,000 hectares of land covered with forests and agricultural crops.

Vast areas of the Sierra Norte National Park, in the Guadalajara area, have been engulfed by flames, according to Spanish authorities, as more than 1,200 residents have been forcibly evacuated from their homes. A total of 28 inhabited centers have been emptied so far and fortunately there are no reports of loss of life.

Efforts to extinguish the fires are ongoing without interruption, as officials describe the situation as extremely serious due to the vast spread of the fire.

The president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, Emiliano García-Page, stressed that the main focus remains saving people. According to him, “protecting lives is absolutely a priority.”

Expectations are that conditions will worsen even more, because starting Tuesday, Spain will face the third heatwave of this summer season. Thermometers are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in many regions of the country, increasing the risk of further spread of the flames.

In another development, a fire near Zaragoza has been brought under control after scorching about 150,000 hectares of land.

Experts warn that climate change is increasing both the intensity and frequency of extreme temperature episodes, creating an increasingly favorable environment for fires with devastating consequences.