In Spain, hundreds of people are battling a massive new forest fire

On Tuesday, more than 600 firefighters and soldiers, along with 29 aircraft, were battling a massive forest fire north of Madrid for the sixth day running; according to according to the authorities, is one of the most challenging they have ever faced.

Around 1,200 people have left their homes, and the flames have ravaged 29,000 hectares of land in the province of Guadalajara, approximately 100 km north of the Spanish capital. Emiliano García-Page, president of the Castile-La Mancha region, said that firefighters had “virtually halted” the spread of the fire towards the city of Soria, but the flames were still not under control.

The fire broke out on Thursday in a remote forest and has since spread rapidly across the neighbouring hills. The authorities say it is difficult to bring under control because the area is sparsely populated, there is a lot of overgrown scrubland and the region is suffering from severe drought.

Firefighters have reported that 34 isolated villages in Castile-La Mancha have been evacuated. In addition to the 1,200 people who were ordered to leave their homes, residents of a further 14 districts were instructed to stay indoors, away from the flames.

Temperatures are rising again in Spain, where a forest fire broke out on 9 July, claiming the lives of 13 people.