The blazes in the region have come within two kilometres (1.2 miles) of the famous city of Santiago de Compostela, the end of an historic pilgrim trail.

Almost 100 outbreaks, close to each other and near populated areas, were recorded Tuesday morning, the regional governmenmt said.

Teams made up of firefighters and more than 3,500 forest workers, backed up by 30 aircraft, were battling 64 blazes while a further 34 were regarded as being under control.

Three people have died in the flames.

As happened when the oil tanker Prestige sank off the coast of Galicia in 2002 the armed forces have been deployed to help coordinate civil protection, including evacuations.

Troops are patrolling near villages to prevent fires being lit.

Local authorities say "most of these fires were started deliberately", according to the Galician rural environment department.

The reasons are given as "conflicts between ranchers and sheep farmers and landowners" over increasing grazing space and "behavioural problems".

Recent legislation bans immediate rebuilding on land devastated by fire.

But, the department said, "we cannot rule out that there is an organisation behind all this," the reason for the sending of the anti-organised crime unit.

Three people were arrested overnight, one of whom was freed. Of the other two, one was caught setting a blaze, the other turned in by his neighbours for suspicious behaviour.

In neighbouring Portugal 10 forest and brush fires were burning nationwide Tuesday, battled by 900 firefighters backed by 300 vehicles, six of them out of control.

The most serious was that at Valongo, near the northern city of Porto, where the flames, fanned by the wind, were advancing on two fronts. Some 300 men with 100 vehicles and a helicopter dropping water were combatting the fire.

Another fire, at Estremoz in the southern Evora district was reported to be under control, though rising temperatures and low humdity meant that it could break out again, authorities said.

Police are investigating the possibility that the blaze, which has ravaged 4,000 hectares of eucalyptus forests, was started deliberately.

So far this year 17 people have been arrested in Portugal for starting fires.

Strong winds, high temperatures plus the difficulty of reaching some outbreaks threatened to make it a tough day for the firefighters.

The country is on maximum alert until Friday because of the heatwave.

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