CUBO DE BENAVENTE, Spain (Reuters) -Extreme heat and strong winds caused "fire whirls" as a blaze burned several houses and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from near a UNESCO-listed national park in northern Spain, authorities said on Monday.

Firefighters in Spain have been battling wildfires in the north-western province of Leon. Three people have died in Spain due to the blazes this summer. The country is among several European countries experiencing scorching temperatures this week that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying.