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Portugal gains control of some wildfires / Photo: CARLOS COSTA - AFP
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Portugal gains control of some wildfires
Firefighters gained control over some of the dozens of wildfires scorching Portugal on Wednesday, as fears mounted that weather conditions could further fan the flames.
Some 1,500 firefighters were deployed to four major fires in the north and centre of the country, while hundreds of others remained focused on controlling blazes that were "in the process of resolution that do not pose a risk of spreading", according to the latest bulletin from the civil protection agency.
A fire that started in the Peneda-Geres national park near Ponte da Barca in the country's north Saturday night was unrelenting.
Meanwhile a fire in the centre near Arouca that ignited Monday afternoon continued to demand the most resources, with 750 firefighters and 260 vehicles on site.
Residents of the northern village near Melres endured a harrowing night as the flames encroached.
"It's terrible," exclaimed Maria Da Conceicao, 64, to AFP. "Last year it already burned on the other side, it was madness... and now here."
Other fires near Santarem, Penamacor and Nisa, in the centre of the country were declared under control overnight, according to the National Authority of Civil Protection.
But weather conditions Wednesday are expected to pose a challenge to firefighters, with strong winds and high temperatures pushing 40C in the centre.
Large swathes were under a "maximum, very high, or high" fire risk, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), prompting authorities to reinforce the wildfire response system.
Like many countries, Portugal faces wildfires every summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and fires around the world.
S.Cloutier--SMC
