Madrid wildfire: Aldea del Fresno told to stay indoors

Officials ordered about 3,500 residents of Aldea del Fresno to stay indoors on Wednesday as firefighters battled a new wildfire west of Madrid.

The blaze broke out near the town, about 50 kilometres from Madrid. Emergency services said nine water-dropping aircraft were helping fight the fire.

Several homes on the outskirts of Aldea del Fresno were evacuated because the flames were nearby. Local temperatures reached 36C, and strong winds were fanning the fire.

The new blaze 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 about 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.