Thousands evacuated as wildfires rage across Spain during heatwave

Madrid: Thousands of people in Spain faced evacuation orders Tuesday as wildfires continued to burn across the Iberian Peninsula during a heatwave expected to reach temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius in some places.

Firefighters had largely contained a blaze outside Madrid that broke out Monday night, authorities said Tuesday. The fire, which mainly burned scrub and grassland, killed a man who suffered burns on 98 per cent of his body, emergency services said.

The fire affected more than 1,000 hectares. By Tuesday morning, authorities were allowing some residents back into their homes.

Elsewhere, firefighters were battling blazes in several Spanish regions, including Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Galicia. Numerous fires forced thousands of people to evacuate, including holiday-goers in Cadiz, after a fire sent huge plumes of smoke into the air visible on Monday from some beaches at the southern tip of Spain.

More than 700 firefighters in Portugal were working to control a fire in Trancoso, about 350 kilometres northeast of Lisbon. Smaller fires were burning further north.

Dry vegetation and strong winds can make forest fires spread rapidly and out of control. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in Southern Europe.