Portugal: Over 1,000 Km² Destroyed by Wildfires

Lisbon – Nearly 104,000 hectares have been destroyed this year by forest fires in Portugal, hit by an exceptional drought, the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) said.

This is the largest area since the deadly fires of 2017, which had claimed around 100 lives and ravaged more than 537,000 hectares over the whole year, according to the latest ICNF assessment.

The same source noted that Portugal had experienced, until August 15, “12% fewer fires but a burned area 30% higher” than the level recorded in the last ten years.

This year, the most important forest fire in the country was the one in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, a mountainous region in central Portugal classified by UNESCO.