Overview

• The Portuguese government has declared a state of alert from August 3 at 00:00 to August 7 at 23:59 in response to degraded weather and very high wildfire risk.
• Civil Protection reports that hundreds of firefighters remain mobilized on active hotspots, with the Vila Real district among the hardest-hit areas.
• Under the alert, open fires, pyrotechnics and access to certain forest zones are banned to prevent new outbreaks.
• More than 25,700 hectares have burned in Portugal since January, reflecting an early, intense fire season that experts attribute to climate-driven drought.
• Climate experts warn an incoming heatwave will heighten fire conditions, and firefighters in Spain’s Galicia continue to battle cross-border blazes.