Several wildfires are still raging in Portugal and a state of alert has been declared until tomorrow due to the risk of additional fires. Nearly 1,800 firefighters were deployed this morning to fight the flames, civil defense said. The largest fire is currently in the northern region of Vila Real, where the fire is spreading through a mountainous area that is difficult to access.
The Portuguese government announced a state of alert yesterday. This means that the population is not allowed to enter forests and not to use machines that give sparks and can cause fire. The announcement should also strengthen the powers and mobilization of the emergency services.
Since the beginning of the year, nearly 94,000 hectares have gone up in smoke. That is the largest surface area since the 2017 fires, in which 100 people died. So says the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF). A forest fire in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, a mountainous region in central Portugal, covered more than 28,000 hectares in recent weeks. The fire was brought under control last Wednesday.
Portugal is struggling with a third heat wave since the beginning of July. Today and tomorrow, the Portuguese Meteorological Institute (IPMA) predicts temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius in the interior. It has already been an exceptionally dry year for Portugal. Last month, the country recorded its warmest July in nearly 100 years.
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