Portugal declares state of alert over wildfires
27 July 2020
Published by https://www.dw.com/
PORTUGAL – Firefighters have brought a huge wildfire sweeping across central Portugal under control. But with the risk of further outbreaks high, the country has been placed on alert.
Portugal has issued a fire alert for Monday and Tuesday amid hot conditions, as more than 800 firefighters successfully fought a huge wildfire blazing across central regions of the country.
The country’ meteorology agency, IPMA, said the risk of fire was elevated in most of the country, with temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius (99 F) in some regions. The alert puts firefighters, police and emergency medical services in increased readiness, and there is a ban on lighting fires along with limits on forest access.
The government says more than 12,000 firefighters are on standby, backed by 60 water bombers.
Several injured
The alert, the second in 10 days, comes as a wildfire raging in the municipality of Oleiros and two neighboring municipalities over the past two days was brought under control on Monday morning.
The fire had forced a number of people to evacuate their homes and endangered houses as it approached isolated villages.
A 21-year-old firefighter was killed in a road accident on Saturday while fighting the fire. Several other people were injured in the crash.
Two other firefighters have already been killed this summer in the course of their work.
Two major blazes in the country three years ago claimed the lives of 106 people.
2019: Year of wildfires
The lungs of the Earth burn
The world’s largest rainforest was ablaze for weeks in 2019, burning at a rate not seen in years. Between January and August, there was an 82% increase in fires in the Brazilian Amazon compared to the same time period last year, and August itself saw more than 30,000 fires reported. Most are thought to have been lit by farmers clearing land for crops and cattle.
