Portugal evacuates villages as 1,800 firefighters combat wildfires

Portuguese authorities evacuated dozens of residents from two villages Friday as wildfires injured at least 19 people and threatened homes across three districts, with more than 1,800 firefighters deployed nationwide.

The blaze in Ponte da Barca remains the most concerning hotspot, with dozens of people being evacuated from their homes in rural areas of Sobredo and Paradela.

In Ponte da Barca’s district of Viano do Castelo, some 622 firefighters, 214 ground crews and one aerial vehicle were battling the blaze on Friday.

Overnight, around 60 people had to leave their homes in Viano do Castelo due to the proximity of the fire that broke out on Saturday in the Peneda-Gerês National Park.

According to the mayor of Ponte da Barca, Augusto Marinho, at least 19 people have been injured as a result of the fire, and the blaze remains uncontrolled.

In Arouca, in the Aveiro district, a contingent of 441 firefighters and 166 other responders were battling the fire on Friday, after the blaze grew in size the day before and began to approach residences. No evacuations were deemed necessary, however.

The fire in Penafiel, in the district of Porto, which broke out on Tuesday also put multiple homes at risk, according to local authorities. Nearly 300 operatives, including 231 firefighters, were on the ground tackling the blaze.

Weather to remain ‘considerably severe’

Portugal faces a “considerably severe hot weather episode” through Wednesday with maximum temperatures reaching 36-44 degrees Celsius, the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute said Friday.

The interior Alentejo, the Tagus valley and the innermost Douro valley will experience temperatures around 41-44 C, with much of mainland Portugal likely experiencing heatwave conditions well above seasonal averages.

Forest fires have consumed 10,768 hectares since January through mid-July, according to Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests data released Thursday, triple that of last year’s record during the same period.

Meteorologists predict extreme weather conditions will persist across Portugal’s mainland, particularly in inland regions most vulnerable to wildfire.