Spain: 19,000 evacuated or confined in the Madrid region, where the "worst fire in the area's history" is raging.

At least 19,000 people have already been evacuated or are confined in the Madrid region due to the "worst fire in the region's history," which has already ravaged 6,000 hectares, regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso announced on Friday.

"For a region like this, with a high concentration of housing and population, it's a catastrophe," she lamented during a press briefing.

"We have never experienced anything like this," she added from an on-site rescue coordination center, stressing that "the current priority is to save lives."

The right-wing official told reporters that authorities were "monitoring 1,200 elderly people" and that four localities (Aldea del Fresno, Chapinería, Navas del Rey and Colmenar de Arroyo) were "either already evacuated or in the process of being evacuated".

"We have placed (the municipalities of) Villa del Prado, San Martín de Valdeiglesias and Pelayos de la Presa under lockdown," added Isabel Díaz Ayuso, while four road axes remain "closed".

At this stage, no deaths have been reported by the authorities.

Regarding the material damage, at least 43 houses have been "destroyed," lamented Isabel Díaz Ayuso, describing "a totally unusual and catastrophic situation" which is evolving "very rapidly."

To try to contain the flames of two fires, that of San Martín de Valdeiglesias and that of Villa del Prado, which are "about to merge" according to the prefect of the Madrid region, 31 vehicles and nine aerial resources have already been mobilized, Isabel Díaz Ayuso finally specified.