Forest fires have destroyed more than 3,000 hectares of woodlands in Sant Llorenc Savall and Gallifa, Barcelona, local authorities said on Tuesday.

At present, firemen are struggling to prevent the spreading fires and protect residential areas such as Sant Llorenc Savall, Generalitat Fire Department said in a report.

Despite preventive measures, some residents of these areas had to be evacuated on Tuesday because of heavy smoke, which also affected the San Llorenc del Munt Natural Park.

Of the 3,386 hectares burnt so far, 2,550 were burnt by the Sant Llorenc Savall fire which started over the weekend. The remaining 836 were consumed by the Gallifa fire which began in the early hours of Monday.

Forest fires have swept through more than 50,000 hectares in Spain so far this year as the country suffers an unprecedented sweltering summer, with temperatures often soaring to higher than 40 degrees Celsius.

The heatwave has claimed more than 30 lives in Spain since Aug.1, according to official reports.

(Xinhua News Agency   August 13, 2003)