A man has died from burns, and thousands have been forced to evacuate as wildfires swept through parts of Spain, fueled by strong winds during a severe heatwave. The victim suffered serious burns in Tres Cantos, a wealthy suburb north of Madrid, and later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. This marks the first fatality among the multiple wildfires that have affected the region since the heatwave began last week.
The head of Madrid’s regional government, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, expressed her condolences over the man’s death. Hundreds of residents in Tres Cantos were evacuated as the fire rapidly advanced, with officials reporting a six-kilometer spread in just 40 minutes.
By Tuesday morning, regional officials confirmed that the blaze had been contained. In Andalusia, around 2,000 people were evacuated from hotels and homes near Tarifa’s beaches due to a separate wildfire. Antonio Sanz, the regional interior minister, noted that they managed to protect residential areas just in time.
In the northwestern region of Castile and Leon, over 30 fires were reported, including one threatening the UNESCO World Heritage site of Las Medulas, known for its ancient Roman gold mines. Meteorologists predict that the ongoing heatwave will reach its peak today, with temperatures soaring to around 40 degrees Celsius and overnight lows remaining above 25 degrees.
