At least 19,000 people in the Madrid region have been evacuated or forced to remain indoors due to fires that have reached unprecedented levels in the region's history. This was announced by regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, adding that the fires in the densely populated area around the Spanish capital have burned approximately 6,000 hectares. Ayuso further stated that while in other more rural regions an area of this size burned "would not be considered so significant," in Madrid, "with such a high concentration of homes and people, it is a catastrophe."
Around 100 people have been treated for mild cases, mainly smoke inhalation or anxiety attacks, while at least 43 homes have been destroyed, Ayuso reported. "The situation is absolutely unusual and catastrophic," she stated, adding that the priority is to "save human lives."
