Spanish firefighters battle with Malaga wildfires

Wind and low humidity have complicated rescue operations

A firefighter works to extinguish a blaze in the Monsagro area in western Spain in the early hours of Saturday. AP

Spain was struggling to contain several wildfires on Saturday, including two that have burned about 7,400 hectares (18,200 acres) of land.

In southern Andalusia, some 3,000 people were evacuated from villages in danger from a blaze started near the village of Mijas in the province of Malaga.

Around 200 firefighters supported by 18 aircraft tried to contain the fire that had already burned more than 1,900 hectares (4,600 acres) in the Sierra de Mijas mountain range.

Authorities were investigating its cause.

Wind and low humidity have complicated firefighting operations.

A heatwave hitting the Iberian Peninsula created the conditions for flames to spread more quickly.

Footage released by INFOCA (Emergency Plan for Forest Fires of Andalusia) showed a helicopter dropping water on the wildfire.

Authorities are linking these more frequent, more intense and more prolonged heatwaves to climate change.

For a sixth day, firefighters were also trying to bring under control a fire started by a lightning strike in the west-central Las Hurdes area.

Some 400 people from eight villages were evacuated on Friday as the flames approached their houses and threatened to spread into the nearby Monfrague National Park.