Spain PM says coming hours 'decisive' for ending fires

MADRID: Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday that efforts to extinguish a major wildfire near Madrid were progressing “favourably” and the coming hours would be “decisive”.

“Today I believe we are closer to that final objective” of “defeating the fire”, Sanchez told reporters in televised comments at a command centre in the town of Navalcarnero near the fire zone.

“Things are progressing favourably, with the greatest of caution,” he added.

“I believe the next 12 hours will be very important – they will be decisive for consolidating the work that has been done” by firefighters.

Emergency services have been working since last Thursday to put out the blaze in the Madrid region, and another in the nearby province of Avila which officials said is the worst in Spain’s recent history.

The blazes forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, many of whom have now been allowed to return home.

Sanchez said he hoped to announce “in the coming hours” that more residents, mainly in Avila, “will be able to begin returning to their homes”.

The wildfires have burned nearly 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres) overall, according to authorities.