The fires raging across Portugal claimed their first victim on Friday, when the former mayor of the eastern town of Guarda died fighting fires there, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced.

In a statement, the president offered "heartfelt condolences to the mayor of Guarda for the death of former mayor Carlos Damaso, victim of a fire he was fighting in his parish, asking that he pass them on to his family."

Rebelo de Sousa added that he had cut short his holidays and returned to the presidential palace, joining a meeting of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.

For several days now, several thousand firefighters have been battling fires in various parts of the country.

Like its neighbour Spain, Portugal has invoked the EU's civil protection mechanism to ask for help, requesting four firefighting aircraft to use until Monday, the presidency said on X.

Meanwhile, Spain battled 14 major fires driven by high winds and aggravated by heat on Friday as authorities warned of "unfavourable conditions" to tackle flames that have already killed seven people and burned an area the size of London.

Director general of emergency services Virginia Barcones said a nearly two-week heatwave and southerly winds were worsening the situation in Spain.

"In the western part of the country the situation is extremely worrying," Barcones said on RTVE.

In Galicia, several fires converged to form a large blaze, forcing the closure of highways and rail services to the region. (AFP/Reuters)