Thanks to the drop in temperatures, the spate of forest fires affecting Portugal is subsiding. Firefighters, who remain on standby, have managed to contain the blazes that have ravaged the Aveiro region.
Earlier this week, the government appealed to the European Union for help; France, Greece, Spain and Italy responded positively. We can see the severity of the fires across the country using an interactive map (EFFIS).
To date, 15,000 hectares have been destroyed by the fires; according to the fire service, the September fires caused more damage than those during the summer itself. The two largest blazes were near Arouca, in the Aveiro region (north), and in the municipality of Castro D’aire, in the district of Viseu (north).
80 fires are still active, with 4,000 firefighters and 1,000 vehicles on the scene; in addition, there are 30 aerial resources.