Portugal’s wildfires have claimed their first fatality in the eastern Guarda region, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced, prompting him to cut short his vacation to monitor what he described as a “serious wildfire situation in rural areas.”
The victim was identified as Carlos Damaso, a former mayor who died while fighting fires in his municipality.
Following the announcement, de Sousa participated in a meeting with the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.
Portugal has been battling a wave of wildfires for more than three weeks, with thousands of firefighters deployed across multiple fire fronts throughout the country.
The government has activated the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, following neighboring Spain’s lead, and requested the deployment of four aircraft to remain in the country until Aug. 18.
After deadly 2017 fires that killed 119 people, Portugal increased its prevention investments tenfold and doubled its forest fire combat budget.
The Iberian nation managed to reduce average annual burned area during 2018-2023 to 545,000 acres, one-third of the 2001-2017 period, according to government forest fire management service AGIF.
However, three days of fires that swept Portugal in September 2024 reversed this declining trend, with annual burned area reaching 1.38 million acres – four times higher than 2023 levels.
2024 recorded 12 deaths (nine firefighters and three civilians), marking the heaviest death toll since the devastating 2017 fires.
Three people have died and dozens injured in neighbouring Spain as fires have devastated hundreds of thousands of acres over the past few weeks.
REUTERS
