Persistently bad air quality over North America and worries about sparking more fires has led to the cancellation of some Canada Day firework displays. There were also concerns over air quality around next week's Fourth of July celebrations in the US.
A forest fire broke out in the wee hours of Wednesday in the Uruguayan beach resort of Piriápolis, in the department of Maldonado. Firefighters were swiftly deployed to the Cerro del Toro area to keep the flames from reaching Cerro Pan de Azúcar.
Global conservation group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned on Thursday of the risks from new faster-spreading super fires in the wake of heat waves and droughts that have been afflicting Europe in what many see as a symptom of climate change.
Over 1,700 firefighters continued to battled a large-scale forest fire Monday in Portugal that has already killed 62 people. Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Sunday declared three days of national mourning. Number of fatalities feared to rise. There are also 61 people injured, five of them in critical condition - four firemen and one child.