Comment Several fires are raging across Portugal, where a state of emergency has been declared amid a punishing heat wave sweeping Europe, where temperatures are expected to rise even higher in the coming days. As of Sunday, around 3,000 firefighters were working to put out the blazes, Portugal’s civil protection agency said, with areas on the outskirts of Lisbon hardest hit. At least 29 people have been injured in the blaze, local authorities said on Sunday. The European Commission announced on Monday that it had “mobilised its firefighting fleet to help Portugal fight devastating forest fires”, as residents evacuated their homes in danger zones. Forecasters in Portugal say temperatures of up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) could be reported from Tuesday in the Alentejo — the region between Lisbon and the Algarve, Sky News reported. Strong winds of 40 miles per hour are also forecast in several areas. Local media reported on Monday that the fires in the districts of Santarém, Leiria and Vila Real were “the most worrying”. Forest fires are not uncommon in Portugal, a densely forested country fueled by winds from the Atlantic Ocean. Spain, which has also seen devastating fires in recent weeks, sent two firefighting planes to Portugal on Sunday as the European Union said it was “ready to provide further assistance”. Experts say extreme heat and unusually high temperatures will become more frequent and severe as the world grapples with the effects of human-caused climate change. Last month, a historic heat wave across Europe broke records in France and Spain, where temperatures reached 104 degrees, unusual for June. Scientists have long warned that climate change is extending Portugal’s “fire season” from two to five months, the BBC reported. In 2017, more than 100 people died in wildfires that led to widespread condemnation of the government’s response to the bushfires. Some emergency workers complained of a lack of equipment, while others said the forests were not properly managed or protected. The current The state of emergency across the country means people are barred from forest areas considered high risk and farmers are told not to use any type of machinery that could cause a spark. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa took to Twitter over the weekend, writing: “PLEASE DO NOT LIGHT FIRES OR USE MACHINES.” The use of fireworks in celebrations and festivals has also been banned amid high temperatures and drought, the Associated Press reported. Fires broke out quickly in some areas. “It was very sudden, a lot of smoke, suddenly the old house was on fire,” a witness told the BBC on Monday. In Spain last month, fires broke out near Valencia and other parts of the country after days of extreme heat. In Italy, Rome recorded the highest temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 Celsius). Poland and Austria were also hit by unusually high temperatures, as was Britain, a nation where air conditioning is rare – raising concerns for the elderly and homeless. Hannah Clock, a climate scientist at the University of Reading, told the Washington Post that Britain was “really unprepared” for extreme heat, with offices, homes and nursing homes “not built to help keep people cool”.
