Spain declares national emergency for wildfire

• The Spanish government declared a national emergency for wildfires for the first time.

• Blazes in Madrid and the nearby province of Avila prompted the evacuation of people from towns west of the capital.

• The fires are being fanned by a heat wave with temperatures expected to top 39°C in parts of Spain.

• Wildfires have burned out of control around Madrid. Fire evacuations were also carried out in the Valencia region.

• A total of 76,000 people have been evacuated in Spain while 30,000 others have been confined to their homes.

• The southwestern French region has also been hit by wildfires during an intense summer heatwave that has gripped many parts of Europe. 

• Firefighters battled to control wildfires threatening the city of Bordeaux.

The EU sends planes and firefighters

• The European Union has deployed assistance to both France and Spain under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as wildfires triggered one of the biggest evacuation operations in Europe, displacing more than 300,000 people in France and Spain.

• In France, the EU has deployed seven planes and four helicopters from Czechia, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, and Turkey. 

• In Spain, the EU mobilised six planes from Greece, Italy and Turkey, and deployed 134 personnel and 41 vehicles from Portugal.

• The EU’s Copernicus satellite service is also providing rapid emergency maps to support the response on the ground.