Winds that change direction have made the rescue service's work more difficult. Although firefighters have fought to protect hotels and tourist facilities, the fire is out of control.
– What worries us the most right now is the wind – regardless of whether it shifts between west and east, says Antonio Sanz, the region's interior minister.
The fire broke out on Tuesday in Torre de la Peña, a forest area near the beach outside Tarifa. It probably started in a caravan, according to Spanish TVE. The town, with around 19,000 permanent residents, is known for strong winds and attracts many surfers.
A heat wave with temperatures of nearly 40 degrees prevails in several Spanish regions.
In France, a woman has died and nine other people have been injured, some of them seriously, in forest fires raging in the southwestern part of the country. Seven of the injured are firefighters.
More than 1,500 firefighters are fighting to extinguish the fire, which is the largest to affect France this summer. The fire has destroyed 25 homes in the prefecture of Aude and continues to increase in scope.
Campsites and at least one village have been partially evacuated, and several roads are closed.
"All the nation's resources are mobilized", writes President Emmanuel Macron on X and urges people to be "extremely cautious".
