As flames are driven up by strong winds and tinder-dry conditions in various nations in Europe, residents and vacationers have left towns and villages in France.
In the past several days, more than 10,000 people have been compelled to leave the south-western Gironde area. In Portugal and Spain, where temperatures have soared beyond 40C, dozens of flames are now raging.
The heatwave was responsible for at least 281 fatalities in the two nations.
In western Spain, several communities have been evacuated.
The leader of the French Firefighters Federation has issued a warning about the effect that climate change is having on civil defence. Grégory Allione stated that "firefighters and civil security are the ones who deal with the impacts on a daily basis - and these effects aren't in 2030, they're right now."
Due to human-induced climate change, heatwaves are now more common, more powerful, and stay longer. Since the start of the industrial age, the world has already warmed by around 1.1C, and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments drastically reduce emissions.
Fires broke out farther south in the Monfragüe national park, which is home to endangered bird species. Firefighters in Spain battled to defend the town of Monsagro. When a forest fire got close to the major N-5 road in Cáceres, it closed off access to the park to the east.
On Friday, temperatures were predicted to reach 40C in several parts of western Spain and Portugal. On Thursday, 47C was reported in Pinho in the north, setting a record high for July on the mainland.
However, Spanish meteorologists predicted that temperatures will start to drop on Friday.
The new heatwave's first two days, on Sunday and Monday, saw at least 43 fatalities as a result of the heat, according to the Carlos III Health Institute on Thursday.
Since July 7, there have been 238 more deaths than usual in Portugal, which health experts blame to the very hot and dry weather. The elderly, kids, and persons with chronic illnesses are those who are most negatively impacted.
On Friday morning, there were more than 30 fires burning around Portugal, one of which was a week-old forest fire in Pombal in the Leiria area's centre region. This year, more than 300 sq km have been set on fire, more than ever before. A graphic depicting the areas of Southern Europe and Morocco with the highest fire threats was tweeted by the EU's Copernicus emergency management agency.
In an effort to evacuate 4,000 inhabitants from the Cazaux neighbourhood southwest of Bordeaux, police in south-west France went door-to-door. There were huge traffic lines as people sought to evacuate, smoke could be seen near to La Teste-de-Buch, and police closed exits to prevent cars from entering.
Matthias, a vacationer, described to BFMTV how he and his kid had been instructed to leave right away: We began packing our belongings, but the woman firmly advised us to leave everything exactly as it is. You attempt to remain cool, but it's difficult not to feel afraid because it occurs so frequently.
In the last several days, a pine forest covering an estimated 73 sq km has burnt destroyed, including areas between Arcachon and Landiras. There are still two months of summer, and temperatures are expected to surpass 40C in certain places, according to the chairman of the national firefighters' association.
The circumstance is really complicated. Though tiredness quickly sets in, our spirits are still high. We are requesting a target of 250,000 volunteer firemen because of this, Mr. Allione said to RMC TV.
Strong winds have significantly raised the risk of wildfires in five areas of Greece, civil protection authorities have warned, and forest fires have also been detected this week in Italy and Croatia.
Officials have urged Greeks not to do anything that may start a fire because areas like Central Greece, Attica, and Create are among those that are most at risk.
On Friday, there were reports of fires throughout Attica and Crete. Residents in the village of Feriza Saronikos in the southeast of Athens were urgently urged to leave and go towards the seaside by emergency services.