Three dead, twenty injured and dozens evacuated in the fires that hit Portugal

The forest fires that have devastated central and northern Portugal since Sunday have now subsided. three dead, including a firefighter and two civiliansin addition to several injuries and mass evacuations. According to local authorities and the Portuguese Civil Protection, the flames remain out of control in several areas, which has forced the Portuguese government to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism to receive international aid.

The first death was recorded on Monday at dawn in the municipality of Oliveira de Azeméis, where A firefighter suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest during a break in the extinguishing efforts. The officer, who was fighting the fire in extreme conditions, could not be resuscitated despite the efforts of his colleagues.

According to local media, Four other firefighters were also injured in the same fire, including three serious ones, which has raised concerns for the safety of personnel working on the front lines of the fight against the flames.

Hours later, the death of two civilians was confirmed in the district of Aveiro, in the central region of the country. One of the victims, a 28 year old man of Brazilian nationality, was found carbonized in a forest area in Albergaria-a-Velha.

The victim worked for a logging company and, according to the National Republican Guard (GNR), he was there with several colleagues to try to recover the machines that had been stuck in the area affected by the fire. The Judicial Police has resumed the investigation into this event to clarify the exact circumstances of the death.

The second civilian who died was in Sever do Vouga, also in the Aveiro district. According to local media, the man died of a heart attack as the fire moved dangerously close to their town. The rapid spread of the fires in the area has been fueled by adverse weather conditions, with extremely high temperatures and strong winds making extinguishing efforts difficult.

Injuries and mass evacuations

In addition to the deaths, authorities said the fires left at least 17 people injured, three of them in serious condition.

The flames also forced the evacuation of dozens of people from the most affected areas and the closure of several roads, including important ones such as the A1, A25 and A29. According to Civil Protection, as of Monday afternoon, there were 36 active fires throughout the territory, the most worrying being those affecting the municipalities of Oliveira de Azeméis, Albergaria-a-Velha and Sever do Vouga.

The national commander of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), André Fernandes, indicated at a press conference that more than 3,000 firefighters645 vehicles and 32 aerial resources are used to fight the fires.

However, the magnitude of the crisis has led the Portuguese government to request international aid. Through the European Civil Protection MechanismCountries including Spain, France, Italy and Greece have sent eight Canadair amphibious aircraft to support extinction efforts.

Government response

The Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegrocancelled its schedule for Monday and Tuesday in order to personally coordinate the response to the disaster. In a statement, the Portuguese government thanked the solidarity shown by its European partners and stressed that the situation remains extremely critical due to the weather conditions, which do not favour the control of the fires.

Furthermore, the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousaannounced this Monday that will cancel the visit he had planned this week to Spain -specifically in Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria- due to the serious situation the country is going through.

“I will cancel my planned visit to Spain the day after tomorrow because I understand that there is continued concern,” he told reporters at the headquarters of the Portuguese National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC), in Carnaxide, on the outskirts of Lisbon.

Portugal, like other southern European countries, remains extremely vulnerable to forest fires, particularly in a context of climate change which exacerbates drought and extreme heat conditions. Although the country has seen fewer fires this year due to a rainy start to the year, the risk remains high during the summer months.

The Portuguese authorities have extended the National alert until Thursday due to the high risk of fire. Weather forecasts do not predict any significant improvement in the coming hours, so efforts continue to focus on containing the most dangerous outbreaks and ensuring the safety of citizens and emergency personnel.