WILDFIRES have destroyed thousands of hectares of land this year, accelerated by drought and heatwaves

THIS year is the third worst year for wildfires this decade.

Some 105,000 hectares have been razed this year across Spain, some 10,000 less than the total in 2009 but well behind 2012 when 215,669 hectares were lost.

It comes after Spain suffered one of the longest heatwaves, called Lucifer, in history.

Temperatures reached 42C in Cordoba while the Costa del Sol and the island of Mallorca hit 43C, exacerbating one of Spain’s worst droughts in modern times.

A total of 40% of the fires were in northwest Spain with 30% along the Mediterranean coast.