Wildfires in Spain have led authorities to close part of the popular Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.
About 20 wildfires, fuelled by a severe 16-day heatwave, have devastated more than 115,000 hectares (285,000 acres) in the regions of Galicia and Castile and Leon over the past week.
"This is a fire situation we haven't experienced in 20 years," Defence Minister Margarita Robles told radio station Cadena SER, adding that the fires have "special characteristics as a result of climate change and this huge heatwave".
Ms Robles said thick smoke was affecting the work of water-carrying helicopters and aircraft, while the Spanish army has deployed 1,900 troops to help firefighters.
Major roads and rail services have been cut in the area, as well as the "Camino de Santiago" hiking route, an ancient pilgrimage path trodden by thousands in the summer.
It links France and the city of Santiago de Compostela on the Western tip of Spain, where the remains of the apostle St James are said to be buried.
Authorities in the Castile and Leon region have closed the path in the area between the towns of Astorga and Ponferrada, which are about 50 km apart, and told hikers "not to put their lives in danger".
Ms Robles said things are not likely to improve until the heatwave that has seen temperatures hit 45C starts easing this evening or Tuesday.
The heatwave is the third hottest since 1975, when the national weather agency started tracking them.
Most of the country is subject to wildfire warnings.
Accreditation: AFP
