Three firefighters die as Portugal battles dozens of wildfires
Source: Reuters
Three firefighters die as Portugal battles dozens of wildfires
By Pedro Nunes
September 17, 2024 10:45 AM EDT
NELAS, Portugal, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Three Portuguese firefighters died on Tuesday in one of dozens of forest blazes ravaging the country's central and northern regions, bringing the death toll from the latest wildfires to seven people since Saturday, authorities said.
Portugal is fighting over 50 active wildfires on its mainland and has mobilised around 5,300 firefighters, as well as calling for European Union help.
Authorities have closed several motorways, including a stretch of the main highway linking Lisbon and Porto, and suspended train connections on two railroad lines in northern Portugal.
ANEPC civil protection authority commander Andre Fernandes told reporters that three firefighters from the Vila Nova de Oliveirinha fire brigade had died while fighting a fire in Nelas, a town about 300 km (190 miles) northeast of Lisbon.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/death-toll-climbs-four-portugal-battles-wildfires-2024-09-17/