MADRID (AP) – Thousands of firefighters in Spain and Portugal fought on Thursday against ongoing wildfires, some of which have been burning for several days as temperatures are expected to rise in the Iberian Peninsula.
In central Spain, firefighters and a special military unit worked overnight to control the fire in the province of Avila, with a focus on limiting fires burning near the village of El Arenal, 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Madrid, the Ministry of Emergency Services said.
In the western province of Casere, the province of Casere, said firefighters largely stabilized a fire, affecting about 2,500 hectares (about 6,178 acres).
In Portugal, more than 2,000 firefighters are fighting fires across the country, especially in the north.
Most parts of Spain and Portugal are at high risk of wildfires, and temperatures are expected to rise over the weekend.
Spain’s meteorological service AEMET predicts that temperatures may exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). In Portugal, temperatures are expected to rise to 30s Celsius on Saturday in most parts of the country.
Although the highest temperature in June exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, wildfires in Spain this year burned smaller surface areas than in previous years.
According to the EU’s Copernicus climate change service, Europe is the fastest continent in the world, with temperatures twice the global average since the 1980s.
Scientists warn that climate change is aggravating the frequency and intensity of heat and drying, especially in southeastern Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires.
Burning fuels such as gasoline, oil and coal, coupled with deforestation, wildfires and many factories release hot get-up gases that cause climate change.
