Nearly 900 firefighters were combating three active blazes in Leiria alone, while in the whole of mainland Portugal there were 2 841 firefighters on the ground and 860 vehicles.Nearly 900 firefighters were combating three active blazes in Leiria alone, while in the whole of mainland Portugal there were 2 841 firefighters on the ground and 860 vehicles.
Portugal’s most important highway, connecting its capital Lisbon to Porto, was also blocked due to another fire farther north. About half of drought-hit Portugal will remain on red alert for extreme heat conditions on Thursday, with the highest temperatures expected in the Santarem and Castelo Branco districts, the IPMA weather institute said.
At least 135 people have suffered mainly minor injuries since wildfires began in Portugal last week, and about 800 people have been evacuated from their homes, according to the Civil Protection Authority.More than 2 700 hectares have burned so far in France’s Gironde region, prefect Buccio told BFM TV.