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Around 3,000 firefighters are trying to put out hundreds of forest blazes of varying sizes across Portugal, authorities said Monday.

The National Civil Protection Authority said on its website that 1,060 vehicles and 16 water-dumping aircraft are deployed at 515 wildfires, some of which have been burning for days.

It classified five wildfires in the north of the country as major blazes that are out of control.

The fires spread quickly through mostly pine and eucalyptus forests that are tinder-dry after weeks without significant rain. Daytime temperatures in recent days have exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).

Forest fires commonly occur in Portugal, and elsewhere in southern Europe, in the summer. Portuguese firefighters blame poor forest management for the destruction of large areas of woodland each year.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Spain, authorities said Monday that firefighters had managed to bring a six-day-old forest fire on the Atlantic island of La Palma under control and were allowing evacuated residents to return to their homes.

The regional government for the Canary Islands archipelago said the measure affected 500 residents evacuated a day earlier from the town of Villa de Mazo.

The fire claimed the life of one forest worker and has destroyed more than 4,000 hectares (9,900 acres) of forest on the volcanic island off the northwest coast of Africa.

An unnamed 27-year-old German man admitted to police that he had started the fire accidentally by burning soiled toilet paper.

Some 350 firefighters, supported by four planes and eight helicopters dumping water, were battling the fire.

This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.

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