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Portugal: Four injured in forest fires amid heatwave
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

Portugal: Four injured in forest fires amid heatwave

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • A forest fire is raging in northern Portugal, injuring four people, including three firefighters and one civilian with severe burns.
  • The incident occurs during a severe heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 44 degrees Celsius in some areas.
  • Authorities have declared a state of alert and warned of increased fire risk, recalling the deadly fires of 2017.

A large forest fire is burning in northern Portugal, injuring four people as the country grapples with a severe heatwave. The blaze, which began Wednesday night into Thursday, has led to the hospitalization of three firefighters with minor injuries and one civilian with serious burns.

Three firefighters were slightly injured and one civilian seriously, suffering burns.

— National Civil Protection Authority spokespersonDescribing the injuries sustained in the forest fire.

The fire broke out early Thursday in the Vouzela community, within the Viseu district. Over 900 firefighters, supported by 300 vehicles and eight aircraft, are engaged in the firefighting efforts. Three smaller fires in the northern Iberian nation are also being managed by approximately 300 firefighters.

Portugal's meteorological service has issued a red alert for 12 of the country's 18 administrative regions due to "very hot and dry" conditions, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius locally. This highest level of alert will persist through the weekend for about 12 regions, as authorities caution about a heightened risk of fires spreading.

We can at this point speak of a powder keg. ... There are activities that we must truly prohibit.

— Luís NevesInterior Minister emphasizing the extreme fire risk during the heatwave.

In response, the government has declared a state of alert from Thursday to Monday, allowing for restrictions on access to forest areas and a ban on certain machinery use in rural zones. "We can at this point speak of a powder keg. ... There are activities that we must truly prohibit," stated Interior Minister Luís Neves, emphasizing the need for extreme caution. The country remains sensitive to the memory of the devastating 2017 fires, which claimed over 100 lives, fueling fears of similar tragedies this summer.

Small moments of negligence cause great destruction.

— Luís NevesInterior Minister highlighting the need for caution to prevent fires.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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