Spain declares national state of emergency as wildfires cause thousands to evacuate

Wildfires have torn through parts of Europe

More than 80,000 people have been forced to evacuate across Spain and France and wildfires continue to burn across Europe.

Notably, 60,000 of these fled homes in the Gironde and Landes departments in southern France, following two major fires.

Meanwhile, 10,000 people have been forced to evacuate in the regions around the capital Madrid and the province of Avila.

This has led to the Spanish government declaring a national emergency in aims to speed up the deployment of resources to fight the fires.

The measure means that Spain's interior ministry, which control police and security forces, has taken charge of overseeing the firefighting efforts by Spain's regions. 

As per France 24, Spanish authorities say, "not enough has been done" by the government to contain and prevent these blazes, which are no longer a temporary emergency.

Authorities said on Friday morning that fires in the towns of Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias to the west of the Spanish capital remain "out of control".

Emergency crews have reportedly been able to limit their spread, however.

More than 100,000 hectares has been burned this year in Spain, while thirteen people were killed in a fire in southern Spain earlier this month.