Firefighter becomes fourth fatality in Portugal wildfires
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Portugal has been hit by a spate of wildfires as heatwaves and dry conditions help flames spread.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
LISBON - A firefighter killed in Portugal while battling a wildfire has become the fourth fatality in the emergency the country has faced this summer, the presidency said on Aug 23.
The office of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sent condolences to the family of the fireman “who tragically lost his life after directly combating the forest fires in Sabugal municipality,” in the north-east of the country.
The firefighter, aged 45, was working for a private company battling blazes, media reported.
Portugal, with neighbouring Spain, have battled multiple wildfires
Four people have also been killed in Spain during the fire emergency there.
Improved weather conditions are helping firefighters in both countries to bring the blazes under control.
According to the European Forest Fires Information System, around 278,000ha have been charred in Portugal this year.
The Iberian Peninsula has been strongly affected by climate change, which has produced heatwaves and lengthy periods of drought, experts say. AFP
