1,400 people have been forcibly evacuated due to wildfires in southern Portugal, including holidaymakers staying at four resorts and 19 small communities.
A total of 1,400 people had to be evacuated as a result of the fire, which had previously burned thousands of hectares of land in the Alentejo region and was now moving southward toward the Algarve.
Portugal wildfires
High temperatures hitting 40C and strong winds are making it difficult for firefighters to contain the flames. Large volumes of smoke are seen pouring from the areas in satellite images.
Helder Guerreiro, the mayor of Portugal, characterized the situation as “critical, difficult, and complex.” The flames are thought to have hurt at least four people—all firefighters. Roads have been temporarily closed off after Lisbon and six other districts across Portugal were placed on red alert by the weather agency IPMA.
- 1,400 people evacuated from southern Portugal due to wildfires.
- High temperatures and strong winds challenge firefighters to contain flames.
- Balearic Islands red alerts; British travelers need travel insurance coverage.
There is still a lot of work to be done to put the inferno under control, according to Civil Protection Commander Jose Ribeiro. Any tiny incidence (fire) in the upcoming days could grow to be a large one due to the weather.
As Europe continues to be gripped by terrible wildfires, the Foreign Office increased travel warnings for Britons planning summer vacations in Spain, Greece, and Italy this summer. A Sicilian airport was closed overnight due to flames, while thousands of people were evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes.
Due to the potential of wildfires for residents and visitors, the Balearic Islands have issued red alerts. If Brits prefer to book summer vacations in wildfire-prone regions, they should be sure their travel insurance will cover them.
