Overview

• Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral declared a Level Four wildfire alert across mainland Portugal through August 7, warning of a “difficult week” of firefighting operations.
• About 2,000 firefighters supported by water-dropping aircraft and helicopters are working around the clock to contain fires in Vila Real and Peneda-Gerês, with the Algarve currently unaffected.
• Preliminary data from the Portuguese Forest Authority show over 29,000 hectares burned this season, and experts attribute the intensity to record heat and prolonged drought.
• Spain’s weather service forecasts temperatures up to 42 °C and 5–10 °C above seasonal norms at least until next Sunday, sustaining high wildfire risk across Extremadura and Andalusia.
• The German Foreign Office advises travelers to track fire hotspots online, obey local fire bans and follow authority instructions, while confirming there is no general travel warning for Portugal.