24 Jul 2012

Border fire kills four

1:48 pm on 24 July 2012

Firefighters from Spain and France are fighting a wildfire that's so far killed four people and burned 9000 hectares of land on both sides of the border.

The fire is being whipped by strong summer winds is still out of control on the Spanish side, along the main road from Figueres to La Jonquera, south of the Pyrenees.

Spanish media report the smoke has reached parts of Barcelona.

Residents of Figueres (population 44,000) have been ordered to stay indoors until further notice.

A forest fire is also burning in the Caceres region of southwestern Spain. The BBC reports seven helicopters and two planes are trying to douse the flames with water, along a front 2km - 3km wide