Spain wildfire kills 12 as crews struggle to contain spread

Hundreds of firefighters backed by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft struggled to contain one of Spain's deadliest wildfires that erupted earlier this week and killed at least 12 people.

The blazes, which also lashed France this week, came as parts of Western Europe are facing their third heat wave in six weeks.

In Spain's Andalusia, a combination of light winds and high humidity are helping crews but the sheer size of the fire still poses challenges, Antonio Sanz, head of the region's emergency services, said.

The fire has so far scorched some 66 square kilometres of forest and farmland - about the size of Manhattan.

Fire crews carried out controlled burns overnight around the perimeter of the fire, which broke out late Thursday in a semi-arid area near the Sierre de Los Filabres mountains in in Almería province, just as Spain was sizzling.