Wildfire Devastates Madeira's Southern Coast

Firefighters supported by 40 vehicles and a helicopter battled a massive wildfire on Madeira's southern coast. The blaze, burning since Wednesday, has affected over 3,000 hectares. Evacuations have been conducted, but no injuries have been reported. High temperatures and strong winds continue to challenge containment efforts.

A fierce wildfire that has ravaged over 3,000 hectares on the southern coast of Portugal's Madeira island entered its fifth day on Monday. The intense fire, starting in Ribeira Brava and spreading to multiple municipalities, is being contained by firefighters backed by extensive resources, including a helicopter and 40 vehicles.

Local authorities reported two active fronts with a reignition in Curral das Freiras and stated that while no homes are threatened and no injuries have occurred, the high temperatures and strong winds are complicating efforts to control the blaze. Precautionary evacuations have been carried out for the safety of residents.

To bolster local firefighting efforts, mainland Portugal and the Azores archipelago have sent additional forces. The EU Climate Change Service Copernicus has tracked a smoke plume extending 130 km from the fire. Recent climate changes, making summers hotter and drier, have increased the frequency of such devastating events in southern Europe and beyond.

(With inputs from agencies.)