The fires have ravaged small, sparsely populated towns in the country's northwest, forcing locals in many cases to act as firefighters. About 2,382 square miles have burned across Spain and Portugal.

Four wildfires burning in western Colorado have consumed more than 250 square miles, threatened hundreds of homes and forced evacuations, fire officials said.

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.

New maps show updated acreage estimates for two wildfires burning near Sheridan.A new map generated Monday night shows the Cloudrest Fire is now 1,190 acres.T

The Bivens Creek and Cloudrest fires have burned 2,088 acres in Madison County and remain uncontained as of Monday.

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 worst wave of wildfires on record spread to the southern slopes of the Picos de Europa mountains and prompted authorities to close part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.

Four fires that sparked on Sunday are burning along the Highway 200 corridor near Flathead River west of Dixon.

A wildfire burning in a difficult-to-access area of the White River National Forest in Eagle County more than tripled in size Tuesday, prompting closures and evacuations, fire officials said.