Firefighters in Spain, Portugal and Greece battled ongoing wildfires Friday, an important religious holiday in all three countries, as persistent hot, dry conditions challenged efforts to contain the blazes.

VILLARDEVÓS (Reuters) -Scorching heat hampered efforts to contain 20 major wildfires across Spain on Sunday, prompting the government to deploy an additional 500 troops from the military emergency unit to support firefighting operations.

Spain is deploying an additional 500 soldiers to combat raging wildfires, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Sunday, as the country grapples with a prolonged period of scorching weather. The new deployment adds to the more than 1,400 troops already battling blazes across parched woodland.