Madrid wildfire orders lifted after blaze contained

Authorities lifted confinement orders in Aldea del Fresno, west of Madrid, on Wednesday after firefighters stabilised a nearby wildfire that had forced residents to stay indoors and prompted some evacuations.

The fire broke out shortly after noon near the town, about 50 kilometres west of Madrid. Emergency services said it affected around 330 hectares before it was contained.

Authorities had ordered the town’s roughly 3,500 residents to remain indoors and evacuated several homes and residential areas on the outskirts because the flames were close. Emergency services later said all confinement orders had been lifted and evacuated residents could return home.

Nine water-dropping aircraft helped fight the blaze as local temperatures reached 36C and strong winds fanned the flames. Emergency services said extinguishing work would continue overnight.

The fire came weeks after wildfires in western Madrid and neighbouring Avila province forced nearly 60,000 people to evacuate at their peak, including residents of Aldea del Fresno. Those fires burned around 27,000 hectares across 17 municipalities in the Madrid region alone.

Spain has had several periods of extreme summer heat this year. Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, frequency and intensity of extreme weather.