Large parts of Spain are on high alert for wildfires after the country experienced its hottest June on record.

A fierce wildfire driven by extreme heat and wind has forced over 18,000 people into lockdown in Spain’s Tarragona province, Reuters reports. The fire, which erupted on July 7 near the village of Pauls,

Spanish authorities have ordered more than 18,000 residents in the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors, with several dozen evacuated, as a raging wildfire consumed nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation.

Hundreds of Spanish firefighters on Tuesday battled a forest fire stoked by fierce winds that had burned more than 3,000 hectares, with authorities ordering 18,000 residents to stay at home.

Video. A fast-moving wildfire in Catalonia has scorched more than 8,000 hectares in just 24 hours, as Europe's record-breaking heatwave continues to intensify.

Near the city of Narbonne, a forest fire the size of 2,000 rugby pitches forced a motorway to Spain to close on Tuesday.