More than 1,100 firefighters have been deployed since Saturday to tackle the fierce forest fires raging in a mountainous region in central Portugal, where a fire killed around 100 people in 2017.
Four firefighters have been injured, one of whom is in a condition described as critical. Residents of the village of Cardiga and a river beach “ were evacuated as a precaution ”, said Alexandre Penha, spokesperson for the Civil Protection Agency.
Maximum fire alert
“The situation is complex, as there are several fires in the same area which are at risk of merging.”. These fires, fanned by strong winds, had been spreading since mid-afternoon along three fronts in areas that are difficult to access.
Due to the heat and strong gusts of wind, six regions in central and southern Portugal were placed on the highest level of fire alert on Saturday.