Spain declares national emergency, seeks EU assistance as wildfires spread

MADRID, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Spain declared a national emergency in parts of central Spain on Friday and requested assistance from the European Union as multiple wildfires raged amid an intense summer heatwave.

The declaration covers the Madrid region and the neighboring province of Avila, placing the central government in charge of coordinating firefighting operations and mobilizing state, regional and local emergency resources.

Spain has requested four firefighting aircraft through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Greek authorities have confirmed they will dispatch two Canadair CL-415 amphibious firefighting aircraft to support the firefighting efforts.

Wildfires remain active in several parts of Spain, including the provinces of Toledo, Guadalajara and Avila, with firefighters continuing to battle the blazes under high temperatures and strong winds.

According to Spanish national television RTVE, wildfires have burned 131,800 hectares of land across the country so far this year, making Spain the hardest-hit country in Europe by wildfires this year. Enditem