Thousands of firefighters in Spain and Portugal battled several wildfires Thursday ahead of an expected rise in temperatures that could worsen the situation on the Iberian Peninsula. In central Spain,

Firefighters in Spain have been battling wildfires in the north-western province of Leon. Three people have died in Spain due to the blazes this summer. The country is among several European countries experiencing scorching temperatures this week that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying.

More than 9,000 hectares have been burned in wildfires across Spain’s Ourense province in Galicia, where residents have been evacuated as flames approach homes.