The man ran into his own bulldozer during the fight against Portuguese Forest Fires

The man died after the bulldozer was operated during the fight against forest fires in Portugal, bringing up to three in the country, officials said.

The 65-year-old guy worked at a firm hired to fight fires in the northern municipality of Mirandel and was reportedly transported after falling out of his car trying to avoid the flames.

Portugal has been fighting forest fires since the end of July, and the northern and the country’s center has reached the most violent.

In the neighboring Spain, the fires were killed by four people and burned the area more than Long -Ayland in New York, though the temperature begins to cool after 16 days of heavy heat.

The fires also broke out in Greece, France, Turkey and the Balkans when the thermal wave swept through Europe.

Meteorologists say that such extremes are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change caused by humans, which causes weather events to become more frequent and difficult.

In Portugal, about 15 people were also injured – one critically – during the fighting fires near the Central city of the Sabugal AFP.

Local media in Spain reports that 40 fires are still active, despite the temperature decrease.

The most intense heat, when the temperature exceeded 40C in many regions of Spain, passed, but Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged people to “exercise great caution”.

“Critical points remain, there are difficult hours,” he added.

According to the European Firefire Information System, at least 373,000 hectares were burned in Spain.

Dozens of villages were evacuated from the fires.

“We had to escape because the fire came from everywhere – everywhere – above us, below us,” said AFP 83, a resident of the 83 -year -old Galicia province.

Spanish officials said many fires were caused by lightning during dry storms, but arson is suspected in some cases.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs claims that 32 people were arrested and 188 investigations were launched.

While the weather conditions are currently favorable for forest fires, they can be caused by barbecues, cigarette plugs or bottle. Causing forest fire is a criminal offense in Spain, even if by accident.

According to the EU, about 216,000 hectares of land were burned by the Portuguese forest fires.

Spain and Portugal have intensified the European Civil Defense Mechanism, according to which countries can seek emergency assistance.

In summer, fires are commonplace across Southern Europe, but their burden can often worsen thermal conditions.