The European Union has sent two planes to assist Spain in taking care of wildfires, after Spain activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the first time ever for forest fires.

As Spain enters its third week of heatwave alerts, firefighters continue to battle blazes in the northwest and west of the country, with army units deployed to help contain the blazes.

Spain is grappling with historic wildfires across more than 51 locations nationwide, forcing more than 4,000 residents to spend the night outdoors. Local authorities cited by news agency EFE said wildfires are ongoing in at least 25 areas in Castile and Leon, 14 in Galicia, 12 in Asturias and several others in the southern region of Extremadura.

Spain is grappling with 14 major wildfires on Friday as authorities warn of “unfavourable conditions” hindering containment efforts. The fires have already killed seven people and devastated more than 150,000 hectares (579 square miles) of land.

A second volunteer firefighter has died after battling a wildfire in the northern Spanish province of Leon, while police arrested a man for allegedly starting a separate blaze as the country faced one of its worst summers for fires in 20 years.

Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires. Calmer winds on Thursday have helped slow the blazes.

Drone footage shows the aftermath of wildfires that swept through Spain's Galicia region:: Verin, Spain:: The country was battling 14 major blazes driven by high winds and aggravated by heat:: The flames have consumed around 388,

Firefighters were observed fighting a wildfire in Ourense, northwestern Spain, overnight, as 12 active blazes raged throughout the nation, prompting more evacuations and road closures from Thursday, August 14,

The European Commission is deploying firefighting aircraft to Spain, where at least seven have died as 14 wildfires have flared amid a European heat wave.

The wildfires sweeping the entire Mediterranean rim of Europe are the product of the capitalist nation-state system’s inability—as it plunges into a new world war—to confront the global climate crisis.