Hundreds of firefighters are currently struggling to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that is reported to have scorched thousands of hectares of land and also led to the precautionary evacuation of about 1,400 people.
According to reports, the wildfire, which is being tackled by more than 800 firefighters, started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira in the Alentejo region but has since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations.
Southern European countries such as Portugal have been grappling with record-breaking temperatures during the peak summer tourist season, prompting authorities to warn of health risks. Scientists say that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense and spread out across seasons due to climate change.
High temperatures and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames, which have destroyed about 6,700 hectares (16,500 acres) of land. José Ribeiro, commander of the emergency and civil protection authority, said weather conditions were expected to remain a challenge.
The sky in Odemira turned dark as a huge smoke cloud filled the air, shortly before sunset on Monday. Odemira’s mayor, Hélder Guerreiro, called the situation “critical, difficult and complex” while Ribeiro said there was a “lot of work” ahead to bring the wildfire under control.
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“It is a worrying situation,” Ribeiro was quoted as saying. He added that there were two active fronts, with one heading to Monchique, a lush green mountainous area in the Algarve’s countryside. Monchique, which last burned in 2018, is popular among locals and tourists due to its thermal springs and hotels.
Authorities have said that at least nineteen tiny villages, four tourist accommodations and a camping site have been evacuated as a precaution. Several roads had been closed.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
