MADRID: A man died from burns and thousands of people were forced to flee as wildfires swept through parts of Spain on Tuesday, fueled by strong winds during a searing heatwave.
The victim suffered serious burns as winds of up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) per hour whipped the flames through Tres Cantos, a wealthy suburb north of the capital Madrid, officials said.
He later died in hospital, in the first fatality from dozens of wildfires to have hit the country since the heatwave began last week.
The head of the regional government of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, said she “deeply regretted” the man’s death in a message on X.
Hundreds of residents in Tres Cantos were evacuated from their homes.
