Two Greek firefighters died after being trapped while battling a wildfire in the Rethymno area of Crete. Gale-force winds fanned the flames, prompting the evacuation of several villages in the latest summer wildfire to hit southern Europe.

In southern Turkey, the main Fethiye to Antalya highway was closed and part of a hospital evacuated due to a fire in Muğla province.

A fourth heatwave of the summer has begun in Spain and France. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned the next 12 hours would be "decisive" in extinguishing a wildfire near Madrid. "Things are progressing favourably, with maximum caution," he told reporters.

More than 43,000 hectares have burned at Burgohondo in Ávila province, now considered the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history. In total, over 207,000 hectares have burned in Spain this year.

Firefighting operations director Francisco Bolaños said the fire had not "moved a centimetre during the night", but concerns remain about re-ignition due to higher temperatures.

In the Madrid region, 24,000 people have been allowed to return home. The mayor of Chapinería, Lucía Moya, said the consequences were severe: "many residents have lost their homes and jobs. Getting back on track is going to be an arduous task."

In south-west France, the largest fires in Gironde are described as "still stabilised" despite several flare-ups, but officials warn of dry winds and temperatures up to 41°C. The mayor of Le Barp, Blandine Sarrazin, warned the situation was "getting harder" and urged "hyper-vigilance".

In Spain, a woman severely burned in the Los Gallardos fire in Almería has died in hospital. Fourteen people died in the Almería fires, including UK, Belgian, US, French and Spanish nationals.

Fires are also burning in neighbouring Portugal, in the north-eastern district of Vila Real.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk