Hundreds of firefighters in France and Spain struggled Sunday to contain blazes on both sides of the Pyrenees mountains that have been whipped along by winds of over 90 km per hour.
Officials said large tracts of woodland in southwestern France have been destroyed by the flames, including around the famous town of Lourdes, where thousands of pilgrims go in search of healing miracles.
There were no reports of casualties or homes being damaged.
However, towns close to the border in northern Spain - Zugarramurdi, Alcena, Corvera and Hoznayo - were threatened this evening with flames licking at fences, animal shelters and small trees nearby.
The blazes appeared to have been started by farmers conducting brush-burning on their properties up in the rugged Pyrenees mountains. Strong winds then fanned them out and spread them quickly over vast areas that have dried out after weeks of little rain.
More than 150 firefighters in France and 200 in Spain were attempting to put out the fires, but in many cases the flames skipped around them and all they could do was protect homes.
French police said today they had arrested a dozen people and fined them for ignoring a ban brush-burning and the burning of leaves in private gardens in the area.
While, Spanish authorities said they suspected arson in some cases.
AFP