Swedish firefighters are combating about 80 wildfires throughout the country, some of them raging out of control, because of high temperatures and low rainfall.
, authorities said Tuesday.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of a military firing range and two other locations in a central province of Gavleborg county as two forest fires rage.
"Due to the heat and the unusually dry weather, the risk for fires is approaching record-setting levels in big parts of Sweden," the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency said.
"Several severe fires have earlier started in forests and nature and the risk for new ones is still very high. The situation is extremely serious and can affect people's lives and health," the agency added.
The evacuations came a day after firefighters were ordered to abandon another area, also located in the centre of the country, after the flames spread to another firing range in which there were unexploded projectiles, authorities said.
The central area of Sweden is one of the most affected by the fires, along with two provinces north of Stockholm, where six water-dropping helicopters were sent from neighbouring Norway, according to Radio Sweden.
Two Italian water-dropping planes were also expected to arrive to help, local media reported.
The spread of wildfires comes amid a heatwave that has seen the University of Uppsala, north of the capital, record the highest temperature in the region since 1947: 34.4C.
Australian Associated Press
