Official warns winds could worsen wildfires near Madrid

Spanish firefighters were hoping to gain control of wildfires near Madrid, but a government official warned that erratic winds could worsen the blazes.

The interior ministry said the fires in dry countryside had forced 63,000 people either to leave their homes or stay indoors. Officials have described the fires as the worst on record for the Madrid region.

Smoke filled the sky west of the capital, and the smell of burning reached central Madrid.

Francisco Martin, the central government's delegate in Madrid, said late Friday that cooler temperatures, lighter winds and higher relative humidity had created a real chance to tackle the fire. But he said Saturday would be difficult because winds were expected to strengthen in the morning, with erratic gusts.

Carlos Novillo, the Madrid regional government's emergency management chief, said earlier Friday that the fire was at its peak and was beyond firefighters' current capacity to contain.

Two separate wildfires merged on Friday into one large blaze. The fire was close to merging with another wildfire in the neighbouring Castilla y Leon region.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was scheduled to attend an emergency planning meeting on Saturday morning in Cenicientos, a village in the fire zone, and speak to reporters afterwards.