Pakistan, July 24 -- Deadly wildfires continued to spread across parts of southern Europe on Thursday, forcing thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate as extreme heat, dry conditions and strong winds fuelled fast-moving blazes in France, Italy and Spain.

Read More: Wildfires spread as heat scorches Southern Europe

At least three firefighters have died battling the fires, which have scorched large areas of land during one of Europe's most intense wildfire seasons in recent years. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), the amount of land burned across European Union countries this year is already the second highest on record.

In southwestern France, more than 20,000 people, most of them tourists staying...