Official figures from the Carlos III Health Institute show there were 1,149 excess deaths in Spain from August 3-18.

Joaquín Ramírez of Technosylva, a Spanish company that specialises in prevention and response to wildfires, attributed this year’s litany of fires to “a combination of abandonment of rural areas, abandonment of managing [the land] and the stress exerted on our forest areas”.

Raging wildfires tore through an additional 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of western Spain in less than 24 hours, satellite data showed Tuesday, but cooler temperatures have raised hopes of containment.

Some 216,000 hectares of land has burned in Portugal and two firefighters have died, while deadly wildfires have ravaged 348,000 hectares in Spain, bringing the death toll up to four.

Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in 20 years, with Spain among the hardest-hit countries. In the past week alone, fires there have claimed three lives and burned more than 115,000 hectares, while neighbouring Portugal also battles widespread blazes.

The Brit holiday hotspots that have been hit by wildfires — and how it might impact your travel plans - If you have plans to visit one of Europe’s popular holiday destinations this summer, there’s a chance your trip may derailed.

By Nacho Doce and Guillermo Martinez GONDULFES, Spain (Reuters) -Wildfires raging in northern and western Spain have burned through nearly the same area in the past 24 hours as in all of last year, although the end of a 16-day heatwave and expected rainfall have fanned hopes that an end may be in sight.

The key to preventing forest fires is creating a rural economy based on the use of forests. While this would generate much-needed employment in “la España vaciada” – “hollowed-out Spain”, the name given to the country’s depopulated rural areas – it also costs money. It is therefore essential to invest in forests.