A new satellite image has shown the raging wildfire sweeping near the Algarve as more than 1,000 firefighters battle blazes in Portugal.
Around 1,400 people have already been evacuated from the largest fire near the town of Odemira, located south of the capital Lisbon and along Portugal’s west coast.
Those evacuated from villages and a camp site were gradually returning home on Tuesday.
The area is just to the north of Portugal’s Faro district, which is home to the Algarve – a popular summer holiday destination.
The fire, which started on Saturday, has already destroyed around 7,000 hectares of land (17,300 acres).
The wildfire broke out in the area of Odemira on Saturday
The fire has spread southward towards the Algarve, helped by high temperatures and strong winds, which have complicated efforts to battle back the flames.
The National Civil Protection Service said 320 vehicles and nine aircraft, as well as more than 1,000 firefighters, were deployed at the Odemira fire on Tuesday.
The town’s mayor, Helder Guerreiro, called the situation “critical, difficult and complex” while Civil Protection commander Jose Ribeiro said there was a “lot of work” ahead to bring the wildfire under control.
It was one of three major fires that raged in Portugal on Tuesday, including one in Ourem, north of Lisbon.
Meanwhile, Spanish officials said three fires that started over the weekend have been brought under control or had been extinguished on Tuesday as the country faces its third heatwave of the summer.
The biggest blaze, in the northeast, burned about 600 hectares (1,500 acres) and required the evacuation of 150 people.
A map of fires in Portugal on Monday
The number of fires in Portugal on Tuesday, showing a significant reduction
The only fire out of control in Spain is in the southwest near the Portuguese border. Some 20 people in two rural hostels were evacuated. Strong winds were reported to be complicating firefighting efforts.
The spate of wildfires comes as Portugal and Spain are experiencing several days of extreme heat, with temperatures in many areas rising above 40C.
Read more: Where wildfires are most likely to happen – and the countries topping the list
On Monday, the Portuguese city of Santarem, about 80km (50 miles) northeast of Lisbon, set the year’s highest temperature at 46.4C. Temperatures in the country are forecast to fall nationwide from Tuesday, though they will mostly remain above 30C.
Spain’s AEMET weather agency said temperatures will continue to rise at least until Friday, with some areas of the southern Andalusia region hitting 44C.
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Portugal and Spain are the latest southern European countries to deal with major wildfires this summer, following large blazes in Greece and Italy last month, amid a scorching heatwave in the region.
