Portugal still battling devastating wildfires despite lower temperatures

Saturday 23 August 2025 - 09:27

By: Sahili Aya

Portugal still battling devastating wildfires despite lower temperatures

Despite cooler weather bringing some relief, Portugal continued on Friday to battle massive wildfires, with one blaze in the central region of Arganil mobilizing nearly 1,600 firefighters supported by aircraft, according to civil protection authorities.

“This could probably be the largest fire ever recorded in Portugal,” said Paulo Fernandes, professor at the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of Trás-os-Montes. He estimated the area destroyed so far at around 60,000 hectares.

Since late July, the fires have claimed three lives and caused several serious injuries, particularly among firefighters. Homes and farmland have also been destroyed, prompting the government to request European Union assistance. Reinforcements have arrived in the form of Swedish and Greek planes and a French Super Puma helicopter.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, under criticism for his handling of the crisis, defended the government’s response, stating that “only those unfamiliar with the country think it is possible to be everywhere at all times and anticipate every outbreak.” Following an extraordinary cabinet meeting, his government announced emergency measures, including up to €250,000 in financial aid for rebuilding destroyed homes and additional support for farmers.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), nearly 276,000 hectares have burned in Portugal since the start of the year. The country still remembers 2017, when more than 563,000 hectares were devastated and 119 people lost their lives. Experts warn that climate change, with its heatwaves and prolonged droughts, is making the Iberian Peninsula increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires.