'It's a hell of a situation': Spain grapples with devastating wildfires

For the past week, firefighters have been tackling a series of wildfires ravaging the Spanish countryside, threatening dozens of communities and forcing more than 70,000 people to evacuate their homes.Three fires in the Madrid region have caused special concerns, with a new heatwave expected to hit Spain from Wednesday, fuelling fears that firefighting efforts could be hindered."It's a hell of a situation," said Madrid regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso, as she visited affected areas on Monday alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.Sánchez spoke on Tuesday of highly challenging hours and days ahead but of light beginning to appear "at the end of the tunnel".Temperatures are expected to approach 40C in some regions in the coming days, with the heatwave forecast to last at least until Sunday.Spain's state meteorological agency Aemet has warned the "fire danger level will continue to rise to extreme levels, hindering firefighting efforts".Ayuso confirmed that four municipalities remained under lockdown orders while another 12 were evacuated. She had earlier described the wildfires as "the biggest natural catastrophe in the history of Spain" and of flames turning the area into a "war zone".