Wildfires Destroy Over 12,000 Hectares North of Madrid

Kathmandu. A fierce wildfire that spread more than 100 kilometers north of Madrid has destroyed more than 12,000 hectares of land. Hundreds of people have had to be evacuated to safe places, local authorities informed on Sunday.

The fire, which started last Thursday in the province of Guadalajara, has spread to an area that includes the Sierra Norte natural park. No human casualties have been reported so far, but regional president Emiliano García Page and local authorities have described it as a 'difficult' wildfire to control.

The wildfire started in a mountainous area covered by forests inhabited by endangered species such as eagles, wolves, and butterflies. This incident occurred shortly after another fierce wildfire that started near Zaragoza on Wednesday. That fire has so far destroyed more than 16,000 hectares of land and is still not under control.

No human casualties have been reported from these wildfires. Earlier this month, Spain faced its deadliest wildfire in recent history. In that fire in the southern province of Almería, 13 people died and seven thousand hectares of land were destroyed.

Spain has faced prolonged and frequent heatwaves in recent years. Temperatures in some affected parts of Spain have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius. Such conditions have led to devastating wildfires.

According to scientists, human-caused climate change has increased the duration, intensity, and frequency of heatwaves, which dry out vegetation and increase the risk of wildfires.