Firefighters battled wildfires raging out of control in France and Spain as Europe wilted under an unusually extreme heat wave that authorities in Madrid blamed for hundreds of deaths 

PARIS -- Firefighters battled wildfires raging out of control in France and Spain on Sunday as Europe wilted under an unusually extreme heat wave that authorities in Madrid blamed for hundreds of deaths.

Two huge blazes, which have consumed pine forests for six days in southwestern France, have forced the evacuation of some 14,000 people. Water-dropping planes zig-zagged the area near Bordeaux, as flames lapped at the edge of a farm field, and smoke blanketed the skyline above a mass of singed trees, in images shared by firefighters.

In Spain, firefighters supported by military brigades tried to stamp out over 30 fires consuming forests spread across the country. Spain’s National Defense Department said that “the majority” of its fire-fighting aircraft have been deployed to reach the blazes, many of which are in rugged, hilly terrain that is difficult for ground crews to access.

Fire season has hit parts of Europe earlier than usual this year after a dry, hot spring that the European Union has attributed to climate change. Some countries are also experiencing extended droughts, while many are sweltering in heat waves.

So far, there have been no fire-related deaths in France or Spain. In Portugal, a pilot of a firefighting plane died when his aircraft crashed on Friday.

But as temperatures remained unusually high, heat-related deaths soared. In Spain's second heat wave of the summer, many areas have repeatedly seen peaks of 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). According to Spain’s Carlos III Institute, which records temperature-related fatalities daily, 360 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10 to 15. That was compared with 27 temperature-related deaths the previous six days.

The death of a street cleaner after he suffered heat stroke while working led Madrid's town hall to give its street cleaners the option to work in the evenings.

Almost all of Spain was under alert for high temperatures for another day Sunday, while there was a heat wave warnings for about half of France, where scorching temperatures were expected to climb higher on Monday. The French government has stepped up efforts to protect people in nursing homes, the homeless and other vulnerable populations after a vicious heat wave and poor planning led to nearly 15,000 deaths in 2003, especially among the elderly.

Meanwhile, the fire in La Teste-de-Buch has forced 10,000 people to flee at a time when many flock to the nearby Atlantic coast area for vacation. And authorities shut down access to Europe’s tallest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat.

The Gironde regional government said Sunday afternoon that “the situation remains very unfavorable" due to gusting winds that helped fan more flare-ups overnight.