Portugal: With sustained winds and high temperatures, firefighters continue to fight forest fires

In the north of the country, the Ponte da Barca fire, which has been raging since Saturday evening in the Peneda-Geres National Park (north), in a steep area, remained active. Also in the north, the Arouca fire, which started on Monday afternoon, was mobilizing the most resources. Some 750 firefighters, assisted by 260 vehicles, were still trying to bring the blaze under control.

Faced with the advancing flames, the inhabitants of a village near Melres (north) experienced a trying night. "It's terrible!" confided Maria Da Conceiçao, 64. "Last year it was already burning on the other side, it was crazy... and now here." "The main cause of this problem is the lack of maintenance and cleaning of the grounds," lamented Ana Maria Ferreira, 43.

Temperatures up to 40°C

Other major fires near Santarem, Penamacor, and Nisa in the center of the country were brought under control overnight, according to the National Civil Protection Authority. However, Wednesday was expected to be a difficult day due to adverse weather conditions, with sustained winds and high temperatures reaching 40°C in the center.

Almost the entire country was on alert due to a "maximum, very high, or high" fire risk, according to forecasts from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Faced with these conditions, Portugal decided earlier this week to strengthen its forest firefighting system. "Our entire system is operational in order to intervene as quickly as possible," Prime Minister Luis Montenegro assured on Tuesday.