World News | 1,000 Firefighters, 15 Aircraft Battle Wildfire in Portugal
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Almost 1,000 firefighters and 15 water-dropping aircraft battled a major wildfire in central Portugal on Monday, as strong winds pushed the flames through dense and hilly woodlands.
Lisbon, Sep 14 (AP) Almost 1,000 firefighters and 15 water-dropping aircraft battled a major wildfire in central Portugal on Monday, as strong winds pushed the flames through dense and hilly woodlands.
The blaze was in central Portugal around Proença-a-Nova, 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Lisbon.
The fire's perimeter stretched more than 55 kilometres (34 miles), local Civil Protection Agency commander Luis Belo Costa told a news conference, adding that an “extraordinary” amount of tinder-dry vegetation was fueling the flames.
About two dozen people were evacuated from hamlets as more than a dozen bulldozers cleared firebreaks in the area.
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The wildfire began Sunday, and five firefighters suffered burns in its initial stages as their vehicle was caught in the flames.
Large wildfires occur each year in Portugal, where poor forest management has been blamed for repeated outbreaks. Two major blazes killed 106 people three years ago. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)