Firefighters are battling blazes in the region of Aveiro and other areas of northern Portugal for a fourth day after temperatures increased earlier this week.
About 4,000 firefighters as well as 22 aircraft were facing active wildfires as of 9 a.m. in Lisbon, according to the website of Portugal’s civil protection authority. Cooler weather is forecast for Thursday. (Editor’s note: This article was originally published by Bloomberg on Sept. 18).
Four firefighters have died since Sunday, the government said. Access to some highways in the north of the country remains cut.
The government declared a “situation of calamity” in the affected municipalities and will help provide accommodation for those who don’t have a home due to the fires, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on Tuesday night after an extraordinary cabinet meeting.
Temperatures in Aveiro are forecast to reach highs of 30C (86F) on Wednesday and just 23C on Thursday, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere. The government has restricted access to forest areas due to the increased risk of fires.
About 20,000 hectares have been burnt since Sunday in the region of Aveiro, news agency Lusa reported.
Top photograph: Residents protect their homes from a wildfire in Agueda, in the Aveiro region of Portugal, on Sept. 17, 2024. Photo credit: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg
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