New Delhi, Aug. 2 -- Thousands of firefighters in Spain and Portugal battled several wildfires Thursday ahead of an expected rise in temperatures that could worsen the situation on the Iberian Peninsula.

In central Spain, firefighters and a special military unit worked overnight to control blazes in the province of Avila, especially a fire burning near the village of El Arenal, about 100 km (60 miles) west of Madrid, emergency services said.

In the western province of Caceres, local authorities said firefighters had largely stabilized a fire that affected some 2,500 hectares (roughly 6,200 acres). Most evacuation orders there had been lifted, authorities said.

In Portugal, more than 2,000 firefighters were battling blazes, particularly...