A man has died after being run over by a bulldozer he was operating while fighting wildfires in Portugal, bringing the death toll in the country to three, officials have said.

Portugal is battling five major wildfires as of August 19, with more than 2,700 firefighters, 902 ground resources, and at least 35 aircraft deployed.

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.

In neighbouring Portugal, where fires are also blazing, another firefighter was killed on Sunday in a "tragic" traffic accident, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said. Fires have also broken out in Greece, France, Turkey and the Balkans as a heatwave has scorched swathes of southern Europe.

This year is turning into one of the worst fire seasons in recent memory in Europe. Firefighters are struggling to contain out-of-control wildfires in western Spain and Portugal.

The Covilha wildfire, now the country's most resource-intensive fire, has spread to Fundao and Silvares. Authorities have warned residents of multiple villages to seek safety as flames threaten homes,

A man was killed while helping fight wildfires that have been scorching Portugal, the country’s civil protection service said Wednesday, bringing the death toll from the fires to three. The man, who worked for a company hired to help the northern municipality of Mirandela fight the fires,

Southern Europe is experiencing one of its worst wildfire seasons in 20 years, with Spain among the hardest-hit countries. In the past week alone, fires there have claimed three lives and burned more than 115,000 hectares, while neighbouring Portugal also battles widespread blazes.

LISBON: The fires raging across Portugal claimed their first victim Friday (Aug 15), when the former mayor of the eastern town of Guarda died fighting fires there, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced.

A heatwave is continuing to affect the Iberian Peninsula. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to battle ongoing blazes and towns have been evacuated. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited affected regions to meet with the heads of emergency teams.