Firefighters in France’s southwestern Gironde region have been fighting to control two forest fires that have destroyed more than 10,000 hectares since Tuesday.

Since Tuesday, more than 14,000 people — residents and tourists combined — have been forced to evacuate with seven emergency shelters set up in order to receive evacuees.

Meteo France forecast temperatures of up to 41 degrees Celsius in parts of southern France on Sunday, as well as up to 35 in the northwest, with new heat records expected today.

“It’s a Herculean job,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Olivier Chavatte from the fire and rescue service, which has 1,200 firefighters and five planes in action.

Evacuation orders were given on Saturday for a few hundred residents, firefighter spokesman Arnaud Mendousse told AFP.

“Several fires are still active in France,” interior minister Gerald Darmanin said in a tweet. “Our firefighters are fighting the flames with remarkable courage,” he added.

France late on Saturday placed 22 more departments, mainly down its Atlantic seaboard, on high orange alert, taking the current total to 38.

Authorities in the French Alps urged climbers bound for Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain, to postpone their trip due to repeated rock falls caused by “exceptional climatic conditions” and “drought”.

The French government has increased efforts to protect people in nursing homes, the homeless and other vulnerable populations after a vicious heatwave and poor planning led to nearly 15,000 deaths in 2003.

In southern Spain, more than 3,200 people fled fires in the Mijas hills, though later some were able to return. Fires in Portugal are currently contained.

More than 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the heat in Portugal and Spain in recent days.

Elsewhere in Spain, wildfires have broken out in the provinces of Castilla y León, Galicia and Extremadura.

Across the Mediterranean, Morocco has ordered more than 1,300 people to leave their homes and deployed more firefighters to tackle forest blazes in the north. The worst-hit area is Larache province.

Some areas in south-west Turkey and on Croatia’s Adriatic coast are also struggling with wildfires. A number broke out near Croatia’s resort towns of Zadar and Sibenik, but they have not forced any major evacuations.