Madrid wildfire kills one as rare fire whirls devastate suburb

Emergency service firefighters stand near burnt areas surrounding residential housing after wildfires near Madrid (Illustrative image) (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP) (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images) Getty Images

A deadly wildfire near Madrid killed one person and forced the evacuation of 180 people overnight as extreme weather conditions created rare "fire whirls" that devastated residential areas. The victim suffered burns to 98 percent of his body and died after being airlifted to La Paz hospital, the Community of Madrid confirmed this morning as the Daily Mail reports.

The blaze tore through 1,000 hectares in Tres Cantos, an affluent suburb northeast of Madrid, advancing six kilometres in just 40 minutes due to extreme heat and strong winds. "In barely 40 minutes, the fire advanced six kilometres," Carlos Novillo, Madrid's regional environment chief, told reporters according to the Daily Mail.

Devastating Property Damage

The inferno destroyed an equestrian centre and killed 27 horses, while Kings College, a prestigious British private school, suffered damage from the advancing flames. The fire reached Norman pharmaceutical laboratories where explosions were reportedly heard, and completely burned down a donkey shelter as it spread rapidly through the area as the Daily Mail reports.

The extreme conditions created the unusual fire whirl phenomenon when flames entered more oxygenated areas after temperatures reached around 40 degrees Celsius in confined valleys. "This occurs when temperatures reach around 40 degrees Celsius in a very confined valley and then suddenly (the fire) enters a more open and oxygenated area. This produces a fireball, a fire whirl," Juan Carlos Suarez-Quinones, chief of environment for the regional government, explained according to the Daily Mail.

Emergency Response Success

Firefighters managed to contain the wildfire near the Spanish capital thanks to favourable overnight conditions, regional authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The Community of Madrid declared operational status 2 for the Special Emergency Civil Protection Plan for Forest Fires as emergency services coordinated between regional firefighters and Civil Guard to protect residential areas according to the Daily Mail.

The evacuation operation successfully moved residents from Tres Cantos and adjacent affluent suburbs of Fuente del Fresno and Soto de Viñuelas, where residents remained on evacuation alerts overnight. About 800 people were evacuated from villages in Spain's Castile and Leon region, while several wildfires raged near a UNESCO-listed national park as the Daily Mail reports.

Broader European Crisis

Nearly 700 firefighters battled blazes in northern Portugal, while hundreds evacuated as wildfires consumed forests in Turkey's Canakkale province with wind speeds reaching 66 kilometres per hour. France recorded temperature records in four weather stations, with Bordeaux hitting a record 41.6 degrees Celsius, while Italy placed 11 cities on red alert according to the Daily Mail.

The Madrid incident forms part of a broader European crisis, with wildfires raging across Spain, Portugal, Turkey and France amid record-breaking temperatures. As the Bristol Post reports, Europe is heating twice as fast as the global average, making the Mediterranean region increasingly vulnerable to such extreme events.

Scientists predict 2025 could become the second or third warmest year on record, according to the Bristol Post. The Mediterranean region's hotter, drier summers put it at high risk of wildfires, with dry vegetation and strong winds causing fires to spread rapidly and burn out of control.

Sources used: "Daily Mail", "Bristol Post" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.