Portuguese firefighter dies while battling forest blaze
A firefighter in Portugal has died after being injured while combating one of the wildfires sweeping across the country, the Portuguese presidency announced in a statement on Saturday.
The presidency expressed condolences to the family of the firefighter, who “tragically lost his life after directly fighting the forest fires in the municipality of Sabugal,” in the northern region. He is the fourth fatal victim of wildfires in Portugal this summer. According to Portuguese media, the 45-year-old worked for a private fire suppression company.
Portugal, like neighboring Spain—where four people have also died—continues to face devastating blazes that have destroyed more than 60,000 hectares. Authorities noted that cooler temperatures in recent days have slightly improved conditions.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) indicate that nearly 278,000 hectares have burned in Portugal since the start of the year. By comparison, in 2017 the country experienced its deadliest fire season on record, with more than 563,000 hectares destroyed and 119 lives lost.
Experts warn that the Iberian Peninsula is increasingly vulnerable to climate change, which fuels longer heatwaves and droughts, drying out vegetation and heightening the risk of wildfires.
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