Firefighters continue to battle raging wildfire in Portugal amidst intense heatwave

Hundreds of firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish a wildfire that has been raging for four days in southwestern Portugal, while Spain, its neighboring country, experiences an intense heatwave, putting most of the Iberian Peninsula on high alert.

Over a thousand firefighting personnel, supported by ten aircraft, have been deployed to Odemira near the popular tourist area of Algarve. The flames have consumed around 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of land as of the latest report from Vitor Vaz Pinto, the commander of Portugal's civil protection.

On Tuesday evening, Vaz Pinto revealed that the forest fire continues to spread "on two fronts," noting that firefighting teams managed to contain several fires that had rekindled in the area.

According to local media reports confirmed by authorities, the fire caused damage to a house and its outbuildings, as well as a rural tourism complex.

Around 1,500 people from twenty villages, along with vacationers from rural tourism lodgings and a campsite, were evacuated, as well as about a hundred animals.

Anna Costa, a 40-year-old farmer, recounted to Agence France-Presse, "It was terrifying. The fire was everywhere, and we had to fend for ourselves. No one was here to help us. Fortunately, three of my friends came."

As of Tuesday evening, more than 3,200 firefighting personnel and 15 firefighting aircraft were on standby across the country to combat fires in various regions.

Temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas on Tuesday, following a record high of 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.5 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded on Monday in Santarém, central Portugal, according to preliminary estimates by the Portuguese meteorological agency.

The high alert status remained in place on both sides of the border on Tuesday.

The third heatwave of the summer in the region is expected to peak on Wednesday, as forecasted by the Spanish meteorological agency. The heatwave is projected to last until Thursday, with twelve Spanish provinces under red alert on Wednesday, including Andalusia, Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, the Basque Country, and its suburbs.

Last weekend, over a thousand hectares (2471 acres) burned in Spain. On Monday afternoon, a fourth major fire broke out in Extremadura, the region adjacent to Portugal, in Valencia de Alcántara, without firefighters being able to control it during the night.

The Iberian Peninsula remains at the forefront of facing rising temperatures in Europe, experiencing an increase in heatwaves, drought, and wildfires.

Temporary figures show that in 2023, around 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) burned in Spain and Portugal, compared to over 400,000 hectares (988,420 acres) in total during 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP