France, Aug. 20 -- Spain is battling a wave of wildfires that have claimed four lives this summer. In the north-west, in regions renowned for their lush landscapes and picturesque villages, farmers and residents are trying to save homes and land that firefighters cannot reach.

A record 3,400 square kilometres - about the size of Moldova - has been destroyed by wildfires in Spain this year, the European Forest Fire Information System said.

Thousands of firefighters, backed by soldiers and water-bombing aircraft, have been battling more than 20 major blazes across the west of the country this week.

The fires, now in their second week, are concentrated in Castile and Leon, Galicia and Extremadura. Thousands of people have been forced to f...