Spanish police accuse tractor driver of sparking wildfire as blazes spread

The number of people forced to flee the heatwave-induced fires in Spain and France has now passed the 100,000 mark.Published On 24 Jul 202624 Jul 2026Spanish police have arrested a man accused of sparking a wildfire by using farm machinery, as blazes across the country and in France continue to force mass evacuations.The tractor driver’s arrest came as the fire he was linked to drove tens of thousands from their homes around the capital Madrid, as a national wildfire emergency was announced for the first time in Spain.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3‘Extremely disappointing’: US trade partners respond to Trump’s new tariffslist 2 of 3Life without refrigerators: Gaza residents fight heat and food spoilagelist 3 of 3Romanian jet fighter shoots down suspected Russian droneend of listThe number of people forced to flee the heatwave-induced fires in Spain and France has now passed the 100,000 mark.Police said a second suspect is being investigated over a similar incident. Amid tinderbox conditions, authorities had declared a prohibition on the use of farm machinery and other activities.The fire, one of several burning across central Spain, has merged two blazes west of Mad...