Three Portuguese firefighters died in one of dozens of wildfires, bringing the total death toll to seven, according to WAtoday.
Portugal is battling dozens of active fires, mobilising some 5,300 firefighters and seeking help from the European Union.
The head of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Agency, Andre Fernandes, reported that 125 fires were reported between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Some of them “were “beyond extinguishing capacity,” but focused on “preserving human life and property.”
Authorities closed several motorways, including the one connecting Lisbon and Porto, and suspended train services on two railway lines in northern Portugal.
Fernandes reported that three firefighters from the Vila Nova de Oliveirinha fire brigade died while fighting a fire in the town of Nelas about 300 kilometres northeast of Lisbon. His deputy, Mario Silvestre, said earlier that the overall situation was “calmer but still worrying and complex… with many villages and settlements being affected, and the teams very dispersed across this theatre of operations.”
Portugal and neighbouring Spain recorded fewer fires than usual after a rainy start of the year. However, both countries remain vulnerable to increasingly hot and dry conditions, which scientists attribute to global warming.
Jorge Ponte of the meteorology agency IPMA stated that Monday was “one of the worst days ever” in terms of fire risk. The situation may improve with the possibility of showers on Thursday, although the danger still remains.
The government requested assistance from the European Commission under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. As a result, Spain, Italy and Greece sent two water-bombing aircraft each.
