The Spanish government has declared a national emergency after a series of wildfires in the Madrid region and in the province of Avila, near the capital, late on Thursday. The measure aims to speed…

Officials say the blaze, which has forced about 1,200 people to evacuate and has burned at least 30,000 hectares of land, is one of the most complex to affect the country in years.

You can smell the fire dozens of kilometres away, and its smoke has partly blocked out the sun: the huge wildfire north of Madrid has unnerved officials and evacuees alike.