Around 63,000 people in the Madrid area have been evacuated or ordered to stay indoors as several wildfires continue to spread.
Spain’s Interior Ministry announced the figure on Friday evening. Earlier in the night, 5,000 holidaymakers were told to leave the El Escorial campsite, northwest of the Spanish capital.
Several fires are burning around Madrid and are continuing to advance towards the north-west. Authorities fear the blaze in the south-west of the region could merge with another active fire in Ávila, in Castile and León.
Regional official Carlos Novillo said the fire in the Madrid region is at its peak and cannot be brought under control.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is due to visit the Madrid region’s emergency coordination centre at 8 a.m. on Saturday, his office said on Friday evening.
