LISBON (Reuters) – A huge blaze that erupted over the weekend, razing thousands of hectares of forest in southern Portugal, is now under control though authorities said firefighters would remain on the ground as a precaution in case of flareups.
Vitor Vaz Pinto, regional commander of the emergency and civil protection authority (ANEPC), said on Wednesday the wildfire in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region, was brought under control at 10.15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT).
The wildfire started on Saturday, but high temperatures and strong winds hampered efforts by more than 1,000 firefighters and water-dousing planes to extinguish the flames, which destroyed some 8,400 hectares, according to preliminary data.
The weather conditions helped the blaze spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations, and forced the evacuation of about 1,400 people, most of whom have returned home.
For now, firefighters, water-dousing planes and bulldozers being used to prevent the spread of the fire will remain on the ground and then gradually be demobilised, Vaz Pinto said.
Vaz Pinto said firefighters would keep a close eye on the southern front of the wildfire, near Monchique, a lush green mountainous area in the Algarve’s countryside, as there were still concerns it could reignite.
This summer, most southern European countries have been grappling with record-breaking temperatures during the peak tourist season, prompting authorities to warn of health risks.
Like other nations in Southern Europe, Portugal experienced high temperatures in recent days, with thermometers exceeding 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in various parts of the country.
Temperatures have now dropped along the Portuguese coast but remain high across the countryside. Around 100 Portuguese municipalities are at maximum risk of wildfires.
(Reporting by Patricia Rua and Catarina Demony; Editing by Inti Landauro and Bernadette Baum)
