Iberia | Portugal wildfires kill 35; four dead across border in Spain

Wildfires in Portugal killed at least 35 people, injured dozens more and left an unconfirmed number of missing in the country’s second such tragedy in four months, officials said yesterday. In neighboring Spain, at least three deaths were reported.

The deaths occurred in densely forested parts of central and northern part of Portugal after blazes broke out in “exceptional” weather circumstances, Civil Protection Agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar said.

The situation was still “critical” because of unseasonably high temperatures, Gaspar said. But cooler, wetter weather is approaching, which may give some respite to firefighters tackling the blazes.

From bottom to top, clockwise: Spain (Chandebrito, Pontevedra) and Portugal (Óbidos)

In addition to the dead, 51 people have been injured, including 15 in serious condition. Gaspar said. She also said that an unknown number of people were still missing.

Portugal has been especially hard hit by wildfires this year, including one that killed 64 people in June. An independent investigation into the June fires found last week that authorities failed to evacuate villages on time. The fire destroyed about 29,000 hectares.

A prolonged drought and mid- October temperatures of more than 30 C have fueled the recent spate of fires.

Across the border in Spain, more than 130 fires were reported in the northwestern Galicia region.  Authorities said that four people had died, two of them trapped in a car. Thousands of people have been evacuated.

At least 17 fires were close to inhabited areas, many of them in the Vigo province. Schools were closed yesterday and at least 20 planes were joining 350 firefighting units in tackling the blazes. Light rainfall early yesterday was expected to help extinguish the flames.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy traveled to Galicia, where he is from, to visit an emergency response center. MDT/AP