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.
The blaze, which broke out early on Monday in a remote area near the village of Pauls, has been exacerbated by strong winds and rugged terrain, severely hampering firefighting efforts.
The latest inferno comes as large parts of Spain remain on high alert for wildfires, following the country's hottest June on record.
Two people died in a separate wildfire on 1 July in the Catalonia region, where Tarragona is located.
An emergency military unit was deployed early on Tuesday, alongside more than 300 firefighters working in the area.
"Since midnight, firefighters have been battling the blaze with gusts of wind reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour (56 miles per hour)," Catalonia's regional firefighting service said.
It added that the strong mistral wind was expected to ease by the afternoon.
Overnight, fire engines raced the winding roads of the Pauls Mountains, surrounded by flames, as crews assessed and tried to contain the raging blaze.
In the neighbouring villages of Xerta and Aldover, residents endured a sleepless night as the flames threatened to engulf their homes.
"(There has been) a lot of fear and a lot of crying because we are already on the edge of the fire. Last night, because of the wind that was blowing the fire and the smoke, we couldn't leave our house. Terrible, this has never been seen before," Rosa Veleda, 76, said.
Authorities said they had prevented the fire from spreading across the Ebro River, which would have worsened the situation.
About 30 per cent of the affected area lies within the Ports Natural Park.
Officials are investigating the fire's origins.
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