More than 650 emergency responders have been deployed across the Chapineria and Robledo de Chavela municipalities near the Spanish capital of Madrid.
Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska declared a national emergency on Friday (24 July) in the Community of Madrid and Avila province due to the worsening situation caused by several forest fires.
The move came as more than 20,000 people were evacuated from the affected areas and authorities warned that the fires had exceeded local firefighting capacity.
Spain has been facing a challenging wildfire season with high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds complicating firefighting operations across several regions.
