Portugal fires - live: Fears of new wildfires as blistering 37C heat sparks warnings over extreme weather

Though the Odemira wildfire was tamed on Wednesday morning, 100 municipalities remain at maximum risk

Firefighters battle wildfires in Portugal as thousands forced to evacuate

Portuguese authorities fear new wildfires could spark as blistering 37C heat has provoked extreme weather warnings.

Yellow warnings - the lowest level on a three-tier scale - will remain in place across the Beja and Faro districts until 10 August at the minimum, with the Met Office anticipating that, on Friday, temperatures will reach highs of 37C across Faro in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.

Vitor Vaz Pinto, regional commander of the emergency and civil protection authority (ANEPC), said on Wednesday the wildfire in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region, was brought under control at 10.15am.

The wildfire started on Saturday, but high temperatures and strong winds hampered efforts by more than 1,000 firefighters and water-dousing planes to extinguish the flames, which destroyed some 8,400 hectares, according to preliminary data.

For now, firefighters, water-dousing planes and bulldozers being used to prevent the spread of the fire will remain on the ground and then gradually be demobilised, Vaz Pinto said.

Temperatures have now dropped along the Portuguese coast but remain high across the countryside, with around 100 municipalities remaining at maximum risk of wildfires.

The biggest blaze, in the northeast, burned about 600 hectares (1,500 acres) and required the evacuation of 150 people.

Key Points

• Portugal wildfire visible from space
• Wildfire tamed in southern Portugal, but authorities stay on alert
• Top rural hotel destroyed by wildfires
• Yellow warnings to remain in place across Beja and Faro districts until 10 August
• ‘Not much active flame’ in Odemira wildfire, regional commander says

[8 August 2023 15:50 · William Mata]

‘Bulldozers being used to break fire'

Bulldozers are reportedly being used as a means to build fire breaks and prevent the blaze from spreading further.

Emergency and civil protection authority commander Andre Fernandes has said villages such as Monchique - locally famous for its springs and hotels - are being evacuated.

Monchique, which last burned in 2018, is one of 20 villages, four tourist accommodations and a camping site have been evacuated as a precaution. Several roads have also been blocked off.

There are currently several wildfires burning across Portugal but Odemira is the most worrying, Mr Fernandes said.

[8 August 2023 15:31 · William Mata]

Lisbon under red alert

Lisbon has been placed under red alert - with temperatures expected to reach 41C in the city of Castelo Branco.

Windy.com on Twitter showed a graphic with the central regions of Portugal to be most affected by the heat.

Authorities say more than 120 Portuguese municipalities, including in Lisbon, Alentejo and Algarve, are at maximum risk of wildfires.

“The weather conditions we are going to experience in the coming days means any small occurrence (fire) could become a big one,” Civil Protection secretary of state Patricia Gaspar told a news conference.

[8 August 2023 15:05 · William Mata]

Europe wildfires map shows where devastating blazes are sweeping Portugal and Italy

A map projection is showing how the wildfires are ripping through Portugal and also Italy.

Portugal is facing wildfires raging across the south of the country, with more than 850 firefighters battling to put out the flames. The first wildfire started in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region on Saturday, but it has since spread south towards the Algarve.

Elsewhere, in Italy, wildfires have been spreading across the island of Sardinia.

Maryam Zakir Hussain and Eleanor Noyce have the full story here.

[8 August 2023 14:57 · William Mata]

In pictures: Wildfires in Portugal

A firefighter airplane drops water in a wildfire in Carrascal, Proenca a Nova (AFP via Getty Images)

View of a wildfire in Aljesur, Portugal (REUTERS)

A tractor cleans up land during a wildfire in Aljezur, Portugal (REUTERS)

People watch a wildfire in Aljezur, Portugal (REUTERS)