Portugal Battles Devastating Wildfires

Portugal is grappling with severe wildfires in the Aveiro and Viseu districts, which have led to at least seven deaths and extensive forest destruction. Reinforcements from Spain and Morocco are aiding local efforts. Cooler weather is expected to assist, but arson remains a significant concern.

A wave of deadly wildfires in Portugal has stretched emergency services to their limits, with reinforcements arriving from Spain and Morocco on Wednesday, according to authorities. Cooler weather has brought a glimmer of hope. The blazes have claimed at least seven lives in the Aveiro and Viseu districts, destroying dozens of houses and consuming tens of thousands of hectares of forest and scrubland. Authorities have mobilized more than 5,000 firefighters.

Reuters footage from the northwestern Aveiro district, one of the hardest hit, showed local residents distributing food and water to exhausted fire engine crews, offering them words of encouragement. 'We know they are very tired. And then, as they don't have access to food and water, we are trying to help, and it's our way of thanking them,' volunteer Cristina Almeida said.

A specialized emergencies team of 270 Spanish military personnel will be deployed in the central Viseu district starting Wednesday, with up to four heavy water-bombing aircraft expected to arrive from Morocco, civil protection authorities said. Spain, Italy, and France had already sent two water-bombing aircraft each in response to Portugal's request for help under the EU civil protection mechanism.

'We are in a stressful situation, at the limit of our capabilities,' civil protection chief Duarte Costa told CNN Portugal, adding that the reinforcements would provide much-needed relief for Portuguese firefighters and allow for aircraft maintenance. The European Forest Fire Information Service reported that over 90,000 hectares (347 square miles) have burned since Saturday, making this year's total of at least 124,000 ha the widest burned area since 2017, when Portugal suffered two devastating wildfires that killed more than 100 people.

Temperatures above 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) since the weekend have hampered firefighting efforts, but officials expect cooler air to assist in the coming days. However, the overall meteorological situation remains unfavorable, civil protection commander Andre Fernandes informed reporters. Police have said that arson, driven by commercial interests, spite, or criminal negligence, has contributed to several of the fires. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro vowed to 'spare no effort in repressive action' against such crimes.

Since Saturday, police have arrested 12 individuals suspected of arson in the districts of Aveiro, Leiria, Castelo Branco, Porto, and Braga.

(With inputs from agencies.)