More than 100 wildfires stretched thousands of firefighters to the limit in northern Portugal on Wednesday, with seven deaths since the worst spate of fires in recent years spread out of control over the weekend.

Thousands of firefighters tackling deadly wildfires in central and northern Portugal had largely doused the flames in the Aveiro district, one of the worst-hit, as of Thursday morning, and were focusing on a dozen blazes still raging elsewhere.

An anticyclone combined with high temperatures has created “a cocktail of dangerous conditions” north of Lisbon.

Three firefighters died battling the blazes, Portugal’s prime minister said, adding the country was going through “difficult days.”

By Pedro Nunes and Silvio Castellanos NELAS, Portugal (Reuters) -Three Portuguese firefighters died on Tuesday in one of dozens of forest blazes ravaging the country's central and northern regions, bringing the death toll from the latest wildfires to seven people since Saturday,

Thousands of firefighters continued their efforts to extinguish over 100 wildfires in northern Portugal on Wednesday.

Emergency services have reported 90 active incidents in mainland Portugal, with 17 fires currently raging and 60 approaching their end stages.

Civil protection authorities listed 42 active fires on its website on Wednesday and said they had mobilized around 3,900 firefighters and over 1,000 vehicles

The wildfires that have been raging in Portugal have already affected some 106,000 hectares, or 1,060 square kilometres, of land after roughly four days, state news agency LUSA reported on Wednesday,

By Miguel Pereira and Pedro Nunes VIZEU DISTRICT, Portugal (Reuters) -Firefighters tackling deadly wildfires in central and northern Portugal had doused the flames in the Aveiro district, one of the worst-hit,