Firefighters are scrambling to tackle wildfires as temperatures soar to 50C in parts of Europe.
Thousands of homes were evacuated across Spain, France and Turkey, and more than 100 people were injured in Portugal.
Portugal declared a state of alarm on Monday due to forest fireand the risk is considered the worst in decades.
One civilian and one firefighter were seriously injured, and more than 3,000 firefighters are putting their lives at risk across the country.
One woman struggled to hold back tears as plumes of black smoke billowed over the small village of Santiago de Guarda, Leiria.
Albertina Francisco, 42, who was helping her sick sister to evacuate, said: “It was very difficult. No one helped – firefighters and (water bombers) have only just arrived… The state should help us more.”
According to early morning reports, more than 3,000 hectares were burned in Leiria.
Strong winds made it difficult to fight the flames, so major freeways and side streets were cordoned off to help.
Pensioner Antonio Romalleiro, 62, said: “It’s scary when the fire comes. When it hits home, it’s a shame… you lose everything.”
A luxury resort where former stars of England John Terry and Steven Gerrard’s own houses were evacuated on Wednesday in the southern region of the Algarve.
Video shows flames engulfing villas, burning palm trees and parts of golf courses.
Meanwhile, in France, more than 2,700 hectares have burned so far in the Gironde region.
The biggest flames are around the town of Landiras, where the authorities closed the roads and evicted 500 residents.
A second fire forced the evacuation of about 6,000 people from campsites along the Atlantic coast, near the iconic Dune du Pil.
“The other campers woke us up around 4:30 in the morning. We had to leave immediately and quickly choose what to take with us,” tourist Kristel told BFM TV.
In southwestern Turkey, a fire broke out near the village of Mesudiye, near the Aegean resort of Datca, and was moving towards some houses in the area.
In Spain’s western region of Extremadura, a fire has engulfed the province of Salamanca in the Castilla y León region, leaving more than 4,000 hectares burned.
One temperature dial in Seville on Wednesday read 50C, although Spain’s weather service AEMET said the country’s highest temperature on Wednesday was 45.6C in Huelva province.
It comes after the United Nations warned in April that the world is on the “fast track” to climate catastrophe.
Last week, representatives of the European Union warned that climate change is behind the very dry and hot summer.
Caetano Torres, a spokesman for Spain’s national forecaster, said the “unusual” heat and lack of rainfall in recent months had created ideal conditions for the fires.
“These are ideal conditions for fires to spread, and if you add a little wind to that, it’s guaranteed to spread,” he said.
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Dangerous wildfires rage across Europe with temperatures nearing 50°C
