Huge Portugal fire 'under control' for now

LISBON (AFP) - Officials said a massive forest fire in Portugal was "under control" after raging for days, but more than 1,000 firefighters were still battling to keep it contained on Thursday (Aug 18).

The huge fire in the Serra da Estrela national park in central Portugal was brought under control last week, only to restart again on Monday.

More than 25,000 hectares of land is estimated to have been scorched by the fire in the Unesco-listed park, home to diverse wildlife species including wildcats and lizards.

An official said late on Wednesday the blaze was contained, but warned it could flare up again.

"The fire is under control, but it is not extinguished. Consolidation work will continue in the coming days," civil protection commander Miguel Oliveira told TSF radio.

"It is always possible, and very likely, that there will be new reactivations, but we hope that they do not take on worrying proportions," he said.

Portugal's National Civil Protection Authority said more than 1,000 firefighters were still mobilised around the Serra da Estrela blaze on Thursday.

Weather forecasts are predicting a fresh heatwave on Saturday, the latest in a string of hot spells in Portugal this year. July was the hottest on record in nearly a century.

Interior Minister Jose Luis Carneiro said on Wednesday "we will experience increased risks" of fires in the coming days due to hot and dry conditions.

Since the start of the year, some 92,000 hectares have burned in Portugal, in the worst fires since 2017 when around 100 people were killed.

Experts say climate change driven by human activity is boosting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.