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Spain Taming Fire that Belched Smoke Cloud over Madrid
MÉNTRIDA, CASTILE-LA MANCHA, SPAIN, JUL 17 – The wildfire burned around 3,000 hectares and forced dozens of evacuations as firefighters contained 95% of the blaze amid record heat and dry conditions.
A wildfire erupted in Méntrida early Thursday, spreading smoke over Madrid, with the fire first spotted around 3pm in the town in Castile-La Mancha.
Amid high heat, scientists warn climate change is exacerbating heat and dryness, increasing wildfire intensity, as Madrid records scorching temperatures.
In a Friday update, the service reported 95% of the fire had been contained, the Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service said, deploying over 95 firefighters.
Safety advisories instructed people, authorities shut the R-5 and parts of the M-600 due to thick smoke and low visibility.
Europe’s warming trend indicates, European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service says, climate experts warn this could become the new normal.
A forest fire that discovered Madrid in a smoke hole was almost controlled after it destroyed over 3,000 hectares of agricultural and tufish areas, announced by the Spanish authorities on Friday, AFP reported.