Portugal Wildfires: Country battles destructive wildfires amid searing heat; 19 villages evacuated

Portugal Wildfires: Country battles destructive wildfires amid searing heat; 19 villages evacuated

Hundreds of firefighters are scrambling to put out a blaze raging in southern Portugal that has scorched thousands of hectares of land and forced the precautionary evacuation of about 1,400 people.

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.

At least nine firefighters have been injured tackling the fires.

16 water-bombing aircraft have been deployed to support firefighting efforts across the two areas.

Authorities have also declared more than 120 municipalities across Portugal at maximum risk of wildfires.

High temperatures and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames, which have destroyed about 6,700 hectares of land.

Shortly before sunset on Monday, the sky in Odemira turned dark as a huge smoke cloud filled the air.

Odemira’s mayor called the situation “critical, difficult and complex” while the civil protection commander said there was a “lot of work” ahead to bring the wildfire under control.

A total of 19 villages, four tourist accommodations and a camping site have been evacuated out of precaution.

Authorities have also blocked off several roads in the area.

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