Heat Wave Hits Some European Countries, More Wildfires Reported

Brussels (Antara Bali/Xinhua-OANA) - A rampant heat wave has hit some European countries recently, and more wildfires have been reported.

In the latest development, Spanish Authorities on Sunday announced a "slight improvement" as they enter the fourth day of their battle to contain a wildfire in the Sierra de Gata hills in southwest Spain.

The fire, which is in the region of Extremadura, has consumed around 6,500 hectares of land and led to 1,400 people being evacuated from the towns of Acebo and Perales del Puerto in the early hours of Friday morning.

The first three days of the fire had seen high. Changeable winds produce difficult conditions for the hundreds of firefighters who came from Extremadura, and other Spanish regions,  such as Andalusia, Castilla-Leon, and even neighboring Portugal.

Those winds died down late on Saturday allowing firefighters to work "without stopping" to create firebreaks and control the flames.

The work carried out by around 300 firefighters means that all of the roads in the region are now open, although residents from a third town Hoyos have still not been able to return homes and the Red Cross maintains an operation to look after a total of up to 2, 000 possible evacuees.

Investigations continue into how the fire started.

Spain's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment confirmed on Friday that the first seven months of 2015 had seen 52,227 hectares destroyed by fire: over twice the 20,947 hectares burned in 2013 and well above the 37,584 hectares affected last year.

The Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET confirmed on Thursday that Spain experienced the hottest July since records began using the current system in 1980.

Meanwhile, a Red warning code was issued in Bulgaria over wildfire danger on Sunday, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of the country with the Bulgarian Academy of Science announced.

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology warns citizens to be vigilant and ready to take actions in case of a fire that spreads fast. (WDY)