Portugal Ravaged By Wildfires

Portugal is one of the nations in the Mediterranean region to be affected by the wildfires that have already devastated Greece.

Firefighters have had a difficult time containing the flames in Cascais, a major tourist area about 40 minutes west of Lisbon, as around 145 square kilometres of land have been affected by the wildfire that was reported at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the hilly area of the region.

As the fires spread due to the high winds, locals desperately tried to preserve their houses with buckets of water and hosepipes. After the wildfire broke out, water bombing aircraft were employed in addition to the approximately 600 firemen who were already on the scene.

The mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, warned that gusts of up to 60 kph would be the greatest difficulty, and many residents were evacuated as a result. According to police reports, no homes have been destroyed and no serious injuries have been recorded.

Portugal is normally the worst-hit nation by wildfires, but so far it has been spared by the blazes that have swept over southern Europe.

This July, reports of extreme weather conditions came in from all around the globe, including China, the United States, and southern Europe.

So far, the flames have claimed the lives of over 40 people around the Mediterranean.

 

Source: metro.co.uk