Hundreds of tourists were forced to flee holiday resorts in Portugal as firefighters scrambled to put out a massive wildfire raging in the south of the country on Tuesday.
Around 1,400 people so far have been evacuated from the region where the blaze has scorched thousands of acres of land.
The wildfire, currently being tackled by over 800 firefighters, started on Saturday in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region, but has since spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal’s top tourist destinations.
Firefighting teams were aided by 14 water-bombing planes which attempted to extinguish the flames from the air.
Nine firefighters have been injured, while more than a hundred tourists have been evacuated out of hotels to safety as the blaze continues to spread.
Firefighters work to put out the flames in the municipality of Odemira, August 7, 2023
Trees burn in a forest fire, as pictured from the A1 highway in the locality of Cardosos, caused the motorway to be cut off this afternoon, Leiria, Portugal, August 7, 2023
A man throws water on a fire, in the municipality of Odemira, August 7, 2023
The fires near Odemira are seen from space in this satellite image
A man watches the fire in the municipality of Odemira, August 7, 2023
Smoke billows in the sky in a forest fire as pictured from the A1 highway in the locality of Cardosos caused the motorway to be cut off this afternoon, Leiria, Portugal, August 7, 2023
High temperatures and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames, which have destroyed around 4,000 acres of land.
Fears are growing that the flames could spread into nearby regions with water supplies to tackle the blaze dwindling.
Officials are soon expected to declare a state of emergency in the region.
Shortly before sunset on Monday, the sky in Odemira turned dark as a huge smoke cloud filled the air.
Odemira’s mayor, Helder Guerreiro, called the situation ‘critical, difficult and complex’ while Civil Protection commander Jose Ribeiro said there was a ‘lot of work’ ahead to bring the wildfire under control.
A total of 19 tiny villages, four tourist accommodations and a camping site have been evacuated out of precaution. Several roads have been blocked off, authorities said.
Southern European countries such as Portugal have been grappling with record-breaking temperatures during the peak summer tourist season, prompting authorities to warn of health risks.
Scientists say heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense and spread out across seasons due to climate change.
Portuguese weather agency IPMA on Monday put six districts in the country, including the capital, Lisbon, on red alert for extreme heat until midnight.
Authorities have declared more than 120 municipalities across Portugal at maximum risk of wildfires, with Lisbon – home to 500,000 – placed under ‘red alert’.
‘The weather conditions we are going to experience in the coming days means any small occurrence (fire) could become a big one,’ Civil Protection secretary of state Patricia Gaspar told a news conference.
A man throws water on a fire in the municipality of Odemira
Smoke billows in the sky in a forest fire as pictured near the A1 highway in the locality of Cardosos caused the motorway to be cut off this afternoon, Leiria, Portugal, August 7, 2023
A helicopter fights a fire in the municipality of Odemira, August 7, 2023
Firefighters battle a wildfire in Carrascal, Proenca a Nova on August 6, 2023. More than 1,000 firefighters are tackling a wildfire in central Portugal
Firefighters work to put out the flames in the municipality of Odemira, August 7, 2023
Three districts in Portugal’s north were placed under red alert on Tuesday as temperatures were expected to reach 41 Celsius in the northern city of Castelo Branco.
Another fire was reported to have broken out in Portugal’s Ourém on Sunday morning, around 140 miles to the north of Odemira.
More than 300 firefighters and five water bombers are understood to be on the scene, stretching Portugal’s fire services even further.
Ruben del Campo of Spain’s weather agency said this week’s weather will be more ‘intense, widespread and a little longer lasting’ than what was seen in July, when wildfires ravaged parts of Greece and Italy.
More than 20,000 locals and holidaymakers were forced to flee as fires spread across Greece, with a particularly fierce blaze tearing across the island of Rhodes.
Greek officials described it as the country’s biggest ever evacuation effort.
The wildfire burned for nearly a week before they were finally brought under control as a period of extreme heat made it difficult to contain.
