Portugal wildfires: Dozens injured amid warning temperatures could hit 43C

More than 3,000 firefighters have been battling the fires across Portugal, with 125 incidents recorded in just one day

Aisha Rimi
Monday 11 July 2022 13:43 BST
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<p> A firefighter tackles  a wildfire at Casais do Vento in Alvaiazere</p>

A firefighter tackles a wildfire at Casais do Vento in Alvaiazere

Wildfires across Portugal have left dozens of people injured as temperatures are expected to reach up to 43C on Tuesday.

Officials said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical treatment for minor injuries, while thousands of fire crew members and dozens of aircraft battle the blazes.

Portugal recorded 125 fires on Saturday, the highest number in a single day this year.

By Sunday afternoon, Portugal’s civil protection agency said more than 3,000 firefighters were tackling active blazes.

A burnt out house at Freixianda in Alvaiazere, Portugal

“We are facing an almost unprecedented situation in meteorological terms,” Andre Fernandes, the national commander of civil protection, said on Saturday.

On Sunday, the EU activated its firefighting air fleet assistance programme, which allows member states to share resources to help Portugal.

The Portuguese government said it has deployed 60 aircraft to support fire crews. They also declared a heightened state of alert that will be in place from Monday until Friday.

The country is enduring a heatwave that is due to worsen, with parts of Portgual predicted to experience temperatures as high as 43C.

Last month, 96 per cent of Portugal was classified as being in “extreme” or “severe” drought.

Firefighters work to battle the forest fires on Saturday

Other parts of western and southern Europe have faced extreme hot temperatures this summer, with wildfires breaking out across France and Spain.

In Spain, 30 people were evacuated from their residence as a precaution, while 115 firefighters supported by helicopters and planes were deployed to the fire near the village of El Ronquillo.

The EU has warned the continent is facing one of the hardest years for natural disasters including droughts and wildfires as the climate crisis escalates.

António Costa, Portugal’s prime minister, postponed a planned visit to Mozambique this week “in view of the weather forecasts that indicate a very serious worsening of the risk of rural fires”.

A firefighting plane above Freixianda

The Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, also cancelled a trip to New York, where he was scheduled to speak at the UN economic and social council.

Mr Costa has asked the public to avoid lighting any outdoor fires or using heavy farm machinery that could cause sparks to “prevent fires”.

The Portuguese government has also barred the public from accessing forests deemed to be at special risk of wildfires and outlawed fireworks.

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