Wildfire near Madrid sends smoke over capital and forces evacuations

The blaze, which started around 1.00 pm in the Castile-La Mancha region, has burned more than 3,200 hectares of agricultural and forested land.

Authorities evacuated around 50 residents from a housing complex in nearby Casarrubios del Monte, with officials later confirming they had returned home.

Firefighters and military emergency units continued their efforts on Friday to bring the fire under control. High temperatures and strong winds have complicated operations.

Much of Spain remains under heat and fire warnings, amid growing concern over the impact of climate change on wildfire risk across Europe.