Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians needed medical treatment for minor injuries, Portugal’s state broadcaster RTP and local media reported. By Sunday afternoon, Portugal’s civil protection agency said more than 3,000 firefighters were battling the active flames. The country is suffering a heat wave that is expected to worsen, with temperatures expected to reach 43 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. On Sunday, the EU activated its air fleet assistance program, which allows member states to share resources to help Portugal. Spain, which has also suffered recent fires, has mobilized two firefighting planes, according to the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič. The Portuguese government said it had deployed 60 aircraft to support fire crews. In 2017, wildfires killed more than 100 people. The EU has warned that the continent faces one of its toughest years for natural disasters, including droughts and fires, as the climate crisis escalates. In Spain, a wildfire in the southwest prompted the evacuation of 30 residents as a precaution, while 115 firefighters supported by helicopters and planes were deployed to the blaze near the village of El Ronquillo. Antonio Costa, Portugal’s prime minister, postponed a planned visit to Mozambique this week “in light of weather forecasts that indicate a very serious worsening of the fire risk in rural areas”. The Portuguese president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, canceled his trip to New York, where he was due to address the UN Economic and Social Council. Last month, 96% of Portugal was classified as “extreme” or “severe” drought. The Portuguese government has declared a heightened state of alert that will be in effect until Friday. Interior Minister Jose Luis Carneiro said: “This means … we can automatically and proactively activate all emergency and civil protection plans at all territorial levels.” The Portuguese government banned public access to forests deemed to be at special risk of fires and banned the use of agricultural machinery and banned fireworks. Costa, in a message on Twitter, reminded citizens not to light outdoor fires or use heavy farm machinery that could cause sparks. He wrote: “Fire prevention is the best help we can give our firefighters.”
