MADRID, Aug 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Firefighters were battling a new blaze west of Madrid on Wednesday, just weeks after some of the worst wildfires in the Spanish region's history forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

Nine water-dropping aircraft were involved in the fight against the wildfire, which broke out near Aldea del Fresno, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Madrid, amid scorching temperatures, emergency services said.

Officials ordered the roughly 3,500 residents of Aldea del Fresno to remain indoors and evacuated several homes on the outskirts of the town due to the proximity of the flames.

The blaze came as local temperatures reached 36C, with strong winds fanning the flames.

Last month, wildfires that swept through western Madrid and neighbouring Avila province forced nearly 60,000 people to evacuate at their peak, including the residents of Aldea del Fresno.

The blazes burned around 27,000 hectares of land across 17 municipalities in the Madrid region alone.

Like its European neighbours, Spain has suffered several spells of extreme summer heat this year, contributing to ideal conditions for a string of wildfires.

Scientists say climate change, driven by humanity's burning of fossil fuels, is increasing the length, frequency and intensity of such extreme weather.