Firefighters at work during a forest fire in Bornes de Aguiar
Locals try to put out a fire in Penalva do Castelo
At least seven people, including three firefighters, have died as wildfires continue to rage across Portugal, according to local news media.
Parts of the country have been burning since the weekend, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 30 degrees Celsius. The northern and central parts have been hit the hardest.
The firefighters – two women and a man – died while tackling the fire in Tábua in Coimbra, central Portugal, the country’s civil protection authority said .
More than 5,000 firefighters have battled the fires which Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said were “raging across the country”.
Ten thousand hectares (37 square miles) have already burned between Porto and Aveiro in the north, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported on Monday.
Andre Fernandes, Portugal’s national civil protection commander, said there were 65 fires in progress as of 1pm local time (1pm BST) on Tuesday.
Local media reported that hospitals in the affected areas have received people with burns, breathing difficulties and other injuries from the fires. At least 12 firefighters have been injured, two seriously, according to reports.
Police have closed highways, including the main road between the capital, Lisbon and Porto, and dozens of homes have been destroyed by the fire. Many schools in Gondomar, an area near downtown Porto, were closed on Tuesday, its mayor said.
The vehicle caught fire
Portugal’s civil protection authority named the three firefighters who lost their lives as Sonia Cláudia Melo, Paulo Jorge Santos and Susana Cristina Carvalho.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he was “deeply saddened” by the deaths and Montenegro issued a note of condolence .
Mr. Fernandes said the vehicle caught fire, but it was not clear whether it had crashed beforehand, according to the AP news agency.
Two other firefighters were injured during the incident, he added .
Montenegro previously said firefighter Joao Silva died of a “sudden illness” while battling the fire in Oliveira de Azemais.
The EU said it would send eight firefighting planes to Portugal to help it deal with the raging fires.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was “mobilizing urgently” and urged other member states to send further aid.
Montenegro also thanked France, Greece, Italy and Spain for their “quick and substantial help in fighting this scourge” in a post on X.
Portugal already has 30 water bombers – and has deployed more than 1,500 fire engines – but authorities said the complex situation required additional support.
EPASeveral fires that broke out in the Aveiro region over the weekend forced about 70 residents to flee, the civil protection authority said.
“The situation is not out of control, but it is very complicated,” Fernandez said.
Portugal and neighboring Spain have seen fewer fires this year, largely due to a wet and rainy start to the year. However, they remain vulnerable to fire due to hot and dry conditions.
Climate change increases the risk of hot, dry weather that is likely to fuel wildfires.
The world has already warmed by about 1.1 C since the industrial age began, and temperatures will continue to rise unless rapid efforts are made to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
