Portugal fire: Firefighting effort threatened by soaring temperatures
Officials have said that soaring temperatures have threatened the efforts to bring a raging forest fire in Portugal under control.
On Tuesday the week’s highest temperatures of around 38C (100F) are expected and together with the windy conditions could reignite fires already quelled.
According to the civil protection officials 70% of the fire is under control, however what remains is a source “of great concern.”
From Saturday, 17th June 2017, at least 64 people have died in the fires.
A 40 year old firefighter who died in the hospital has been identified as the latest of the victims.
Of the many that had died, the majority was the one who had died inside their cars or a short distance away from them as they tried to flee. Further more than 130 other people have been injured.
In response the government of Portugal has declared a state of emergency in the forested region around Pedrógão Grande, north-east of the capital, Lisbon.
Elisio Oliveira the Civil Protection commander has said that there was a great concern for the fires still burning. He had described the operation as “complex” and had said that many residents were being forced to evacuate.
More than a 1,000 firefighters have been engaged in efforts to tackle the blaze which continues to rage on several fronts.
One volunteer rescuer who has been quoted by the news agency has said that the teams were not optimistic about bringing the blaze fully under control anytime soon.
The volunteer rescuer said that “Low humidity, windy conditions and high temperatures will easily re-ignite the fire, and it will spread very fast.”
Police has believed that the fires had been started by lightning on Saturday, 17th June 2017, during an intense heatwave and rainless thunderstorms.
One of the worst-hit areas was around the village of Nodeirinho where thirty bodies had been found inside cars and another 17 next to vehicles on the N-236 road,
The N-236 has been described as the “road of death” by the Portuguese media.
Portugal is observing three days of mourning for the victims.
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