Spain declares wildfire-hit areas disaster zones

Blazes that flared across Spain this month have ravaged over 350,000 hectares (865,000 acres), killed four people and forced thousands of people to temporarily evacuate.

"It is obvious we are facing one of the biggest environmental catastrophes in recent years," Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told a news conference after a weekly cabinet meeting.

The cabinet declared areas hit by the wildfires a disaster area, a move that unlocks direct aid, tax breaks and other assistance for affected communities.

There were 15 still active wildfires fires at level two -- meaning they pose a threat to people and property -- on Tuesday.

MAPS: How to check for active wildfires in Spain

The main opposition Popular Party (PP) has accused Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration of delaying support for regional governments, which are responsible for disaster response.

The worst-hit areas -- Castilla y León, Extremadura, and Galicia in the north and west -- are governed by the PP.

PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on Monday accused the government of poor planning, and proposed a 50-point plan that included creating a national registry of arsonists.

Grande-Marlaska insisted, though, that "all available state resources" had been deployed, with assistance also arriving from foreign fire crews.

He accused the PP of “using these difficult moments for many people as part of their political agenda”.

The minister said the government would review the opposition’s proposals, but stressed that arson accounted for only a small proportion of the fires.

The blazes started during a two-week heatwave that sent temperatures above 40C.

Scientists say climate change is driving longer, more intense, and more frequent heatwaves worldwide, fuelling wildfires.

READ ALSO: 6 reasons why Spain's wildfires are so bad this year