Worst wildfire in Madrid's history forces thousands to flee homes

The worst wildfire in the Madrid region's history raged west of the Spanish capital on Friday, with over 60,000 people evacuated or ordered to remain indoors. Strong winds worsen wildfires by accelerating spread, carrying burning embers over barriers, and creating erratic fire behavior.

Two separate wildfires combined on Friday to become one huge blaze, which was close to merging with yet another in the neighboring Castile and León region. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was scheduled to attend an emergency planning meeting on Saturday in Cenicientos.