MADRID, July 20, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - More than 1,200 people have fled a major new wildfire raging north of Madrid on Monday that has already burned more than 26,000 hectares (65,000 acres) of land, firefighters said.

The fire started Thursday in a forest-covered mountainous area near the village of La Mierla in the Castilla-La Mancha region, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Madrid.