World Portuguese firefighters have put out a huge fire that devastated the forested hills in the southern Algarve tourist region, the head of the operation said on Friday, but emergency services will remain in the area to monitor potential hotspots. 10 Aug 2018 06:40PM Bookmark LISBON: Portuguese firefighters have put out a huge fire that devastated the forested hills in the southern Algarve tourist region, the head of the operation said on Friday, but emergency services will remain in the area to monitor potential hotspots. Europe’s biggest wildfire this year forced nearly 300 people to leave their homes but nobody died as authorities went to great lengths to keep people safe after last year, when the worst fires on record killed 114 in Portugal. This year’s fire erupted a week ago during an extreme heatwave. Europe’s summer has been unusually hot, sparking wildfires as far apart as Sweden and Greece, where a brutal blaze killed at least 88. “The fire has been dominated,” said Patricia Gaspar, who is commanding the Portuguese operation. “At this moment there is no significant risk that the fire will spread.” Firefighters had maximised their efforts during the cooler night and early morning temperatures and Gaspar said they would remain in the area to monitor for potential reignitions. More than 1,450 firefighters, 460 fire engines and 15 aircraft have been involved in the effort. About 40 people have been treated for smoke inhalation and burns, many of them firefighters. A huge plume of smoke hung over… [Read full story]
Leave a Reply