Wildfire north of Madrid burns nearly 30,000 hectares

A wildfire north of Madrid, Spain, which has been burning since July 16, has destroyed nearly 30,000 hectares, Report informs, citing El Pais.

The fire forced the evacuation of 34 settlements, while movement was restricted in 14 others for safety reasons. Overall, the measures affected more than 1,200 people.

In some areas, evacuations were ordered mainly because of extremely poor air quality caused by smoke, rather than the immediate threat from the flames.