Portugal battles three large wildfires in sweltering summer heat

Over 1,300 firefighters, supported by around a dozen water-dropping aircraft, were deployed on Tuesday to combat three major wildfires sweeping across central and northern Portugal. Following weeks of scorching temperatures, authorities placed much of the country on red alert for fire risk.

The most severe blaze has been burning since Monday in the Arouca region, roughly 300 km (185 miles) north of Lisbon. Emergency services evacuated several dozen residents and closed the popular Passadiços do Paiva hiking trail, a major tourist attraction.

“It’s heartbreaking to witness this again. We need help, we need air support,” said Rafael Soares, a resident of the village of Canelas, referencing a massive fire last September that scorched 6,000 hectares of forest nearby. He attributed the repeated fires to droughts intensified by climate change, which have left local forests extremely dry.

Farther north, a wildfire has been raging since Saturday in Peneda-Gerês National Park near the Spanish border, blanketing nearby villages in thick smoke and prompting authorities to issue stay-at-home warnings. Spain dispatched additional aircraft to assist with firefighting efforts in the region.

In Spain’s Castile and León region, three wildfires were active early Tuesday, the largest of which was near Ávila, approximately 100 km (62 miles) west of Madrid. Residents in the town of Mombeltrán were instructed to remain indoors due to heavy smoke.

While hot, dry summers are typical across the Mediterranean, rising global temperatures and increasingly severe heatwaves have fuelled more destructive wildfires in recent years.

Türkiye has also faced a surge in wildfires in recent weeks, with temperatures soaring and 10 firefighters losing their lives last week in Eskişehir province. In Greece, several villages were evacuated over the weekend, and at least five people were injured in separate blazes.

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