Spain's forest firefighters demand 'justice' in protest

STORY: Unlike full-time firefighters, most are only employed by regional authorities to tackle major forest fires at the height of the summer.

Protesters used fire beaters to bang the ground as they demanded a "firefighters statute" to guarantee working rights and recognize injuries while doing the job as occupational hazards.

"We are forest firefighters and we want justice because we are a public service for society," Cristina Perez, 47, who has worked for 18 years in Aragon, told Reuters in Madrid.

Wildfires that raged through Europe this summer burned the second-largest area on record, according to data from the European Union's Joint Research Centre published in August.

A dozen European countries, including Spain, Italy and France, suffered major blazes this year, forcing thousands to evacuate and destroying homes and businesses.