Forest fires have been raging in Portugal for several days now. Tuesday’s headline in the newspaper Público reports that they have “destroyed nine thousand hectares in the last 10 days.”
On Saturday the biggest fire of the year so far scorched Villa Nova de Cerveira and Monca in the northern district of Viana do Castelo. More than 600 firefighters were still fighting flames Tuesday.
“Aid to fight the fires depends on the heavens and the parish priest of the parish of Covas,” the newspaper wrote. The Covas parish was the first in the country to develop a local intervention unit that consists of 18 volunteers and three vehicles that are available between May and late September to conduct surveillance and fire prevention.
AFP reports that nearly 80% of the country is suffering from a severe drought, which is likely to worsen this month.
ABOUT THE SOURCE: Público is a Portuguese daily newspaper published in Lisbon.