Wildfires trap 2,000 villagers in Portugal

Forest fires cut off a village of 2,000 people in Portugal, as firefighters struggled Thursday to control two major blazes in the centre of the country, local officials said, reports AFP.

And with another wave of hot weather forecast, the government declared a state of emergency in some central and northern regions.

Summer has seen a record number of fires and Portugal’s Interior Minister Constanca Urbano de Sousa has blamed arsonists and human negligence for most of them.

Vasco Estrela, the mayor of the embattled village of Macao, told the Lusa news agency: “It’s impossible to leave or to enter Macao because of the flames and the smoke.”

The fire, which broke out on Tuesday evening, grew stronger through Wednesday and by early Thursday had surrounded the village, he said, adding: “The fire is continuing unabated.”

Already at the end of July, a major fire had destroyed between 80 and 90 percent of the village, he said.

The emergency services have had to remove around 130 people from nearby villages, said Patricia Gaspar, spokeswoman for Portugal’s civil protection agency, the ANPC.

Authorities added that the fires have left 92 people injured, seven seriously. The main road in the region was again cut off on Thursday. Fires also disrupted traffic on the highway that connects the capital Lisbon to Porto in the north.

But firefighters were most worried about the fires around Macao, which were continuing to advance on several fronts, she added.

 

Wildfires trap 2,000 villagers in Portugal

Forest fires cut off a village of 2,000 people in Portugal, as firefighters struggled Thursday to control two major blazes in the centre of the country, local officials said, reports AFP. And with another wave of hot weather forecast, the government declared a state of emergency in some central and northern regions. Summer has seen a record number of fires and Portugals Interior Minister Constanca Urbano de Sousa has blamed arsonists and human negligence for most of them. Vasco Estrela, the mayor of the embattled village of Macao, told the Lusa news agency: Its impossible to leave or to enter Macao because of the flames and the smoke. The fire, which broke out on Tuesday evening, grew stronger through Wednesday and by early Thursday had surrounded the village, he said, adding: The fire is continuing unabated. Already at the end of July, a major fire had destroyed between 80 and 90 percent of the village, he said. The emergency services have had to remove around 130 people from nearby villages, said Patricia Gaspar, spokeswoman for Portugals civil protection agency, the ANPC. Authorities added that the fires have left 92 people injured, seven seriously. The main road in the region was again cut off on Thursday. Fires also disrupted traffic on the highway that connects the capital Lisbon to Porto in the north. But firefighters were most worried about the fires around Macao, which were continuing to advance on several fronts, she added.