Spain tackled several major wildfires on Tuesday in one of the country's most destructive fire seasons in recent decades, despite temperatures dropping across the Iberian Peninsula.

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.

Spain's weather agency warned the public on Monday to be "cautious" of the "very high or extreme fire danger."

VILLANUEVA DE LA SIERRA, Spain, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Spain battled 14 major fires driven by high winds and aggravated by heat on Friday as authorities warned of "unfavourable conditions" to tackle flames that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London.

Spain deploys 500 additional soldiers to fight devastating wildfires as extreme heat fuels blazes across Europe.

It also exceeds the area burned in 2023 - 91,220 hectares in 371 fires - and far exceeds the figures recorded in 2022, until now considered the worst year in terms of area burned by forest fires in the country: 306,555 hectares in 493 fires.

The Foreign Office has revised its travel guidance to Spain as thousands of residents across the nation have been forced to flee their homes. Blazes are currently sweeping through the north eastern region of the country, with over 375,000 hectares already consumed by flames.

The Spanish army has deployed 1,900 troops to help firefighters. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.