1,000 firefighters battle wildfires in central Portugal

  • Video report by ITV News Correspondent Neil Connery

Portuguese authorities say 1,000 firefighters are working to contain wildfires that have injured at least nine people.

Portugal’s Civil Protection Agency said that firefighters are combating flames that broke out Saturday across three fronts in the district of Castelo Branco, 124 miles north east of the capital Lisbon.

Emergency services try to extinguish wildfires in Vila de Rei, Portugal. Credit: TVI via AP

Authorities say one injured civilian has been evacuated to a hospital and that firefighters are being supported by 10 firefighting aircraft and hundreds of vehicles.

This is the first major wildfire in Portugal this year.

firefighters are combating flames that broke out Saturday across three fronts in the district of Castelo Branco. Credit: TVI via AP

In recent years, the country has witnessed some of its deadliest fires on record, with 106 people killed in 2017.

That year’s death toll prompted the Portuguese government to back stronger firefighting prevention measures, leading to no wildfire deaths in 2018.