In pictures: From Tenerife to Greece, wildfires rage in Europe

In a week that saw a heatwave sweep through Europe, many countries are still battling to contain wildfires.

Thousands of acres have been burned, and across the continent people have been forced to flee their homes as the flames approach.

Here are some of the most dramatic pictures.

Fires began burning in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, on Thursday. The fires have affected several towns, and changes in the wind have complicated work to extinguish them. Some residents in Tenerife have been evacuated, bringing their animals with them.

"It is very shocking because you are at home and you don't expect something like this to happen," one woman said. "To have to rush out, pack your suitcase in two minutes, with the children and the animals, it is very hard."

Forest fires picked up strongly on Thursday and Friday in the west of the country, near the border with Italy. Several villages in the Kras region were evacuated, as thousands of firefighters battled the flames and foresters cleared trees in a bid to reduce spread.

Tourists and locals have been evacuated from a popular tourist area on the island of Lesbos, as a fire which started in mountain forests spread, destroying homes in the beachside resort. Some elderly residents could only pack a few plastic bags with belongings before leaving on a bus.

Two huge blazes in the south-western region of Gironde have now been contained after round-the-clock efforts from emergency services. They have left thousands of acres of damage in their wake.

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