
Spain battles worst wildfire season in decades as blazes rage across the country
There are currently about 40 active wildfires burning across the country, causing widespread disruption and damage.
Thousands of firefighters are on the ground trying to get on top of blazes burning in parched woodland in the country's northwest.
The fires have killed four people this summer, forced thousands to be evacuated from their homes and destroyed more than 382,000 hectares of land.
That is more than twice the surface area of metropolitan London.
Despite temperatures falling across the region, the fire threat has not reduced.
The Galicia region still faces a "very high or extreme" fire risk, according to the country's weather agency AEMET on Tuesday.
The fires there have ravaged several small towns, forcing locals to step in before firefighters arrive in many cases.
On Sunday, Spain deployed a further 500 soldiers to the affected areas, joining more than 1,400 military personnel already there.
Firefighters from forces across Europe are also helping on the ground and from the air, including crews from Germany, Slovakia, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, it is expected to be the worst fire season in Spain since 2006.
Castile and Galicia are two of the most affected areas.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit Jarilla - a region that borders Portugal - later on Tuesday.
People have ignited many of the fires, with 23 people detained for suspected arson and authorities investigating 89 others.
Fires are also raging across Portugal, with four major blazes burning in the north and centre of the country.
More than 3,700 firefighters are on the ground there.
Two people have been killed in Portugal and 235,000 hectares of land has been scorched.

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Daily Mirror
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- Daily Mirror
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The Guardian
6 hours ago
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Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
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