Portugal | Three dead in Madeira Islands as wildfire spreads into capital

A forest fire rages near houses in Curral dos Romeiros, on the outskirts of Funchal

Three elderly people died in their burned homes in Portugal’s Madeira Islands as a wildfire spread into the capital, Funchal, authorities said yesterday.
“Unhappily, we have three deaths to report — elderly people caught by the fire […] in two houses,” the head of Madeira’s regional government, Miguel Albuquerque, told a news conference broadcast by local media.
He said the victims died in the early hours of yesterday as the wildfire swept into the coastal city in the dark, causing panic. He said two other people were seriously hurt, one person is missing and more than 300 people required medical treatment for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
The blaze, fueled by hot weather and strong winds, forced the evacuation of around 1,000 local people and tourists in the islands off northwestern Africa. Several dozen houses and a five-star hotel burned down.
Tourism is the mainstay of Madeira’s economy. The high winds in recent days have also forced the cancellation of around two dozen flights.
The evacuated people were taken to an army barracks, a soccer stadium and a civic center on the island.
The blaze broke out on Monday, and firefighters said the island’s steep hills and dense woodland made it hard to reach the flames.
Albuquerque said officials suspect the fire was started deliberately, and police have made two arrests.
He said reinforcements, including firefighters and doctors, are due to arrive today [Macau time] from the Portuguese mainland. The weather forecast is for cooler temperatures and a drop in the wind speed, which authorities hope will help extinguish the fire.
Fire services are at full stretch on the mainland, too, due to scores of wildfires that have raged since Saturday.
Other wildfires have raged for several days on the Portuguese mainland. By early yesterday, fire officials said seven major blazes in the countryside were out of control. The National Civil Protection service said just over 4,000 firefighters supported by 26 water-­dumping planes and 1,262 vehicles were attending 149 blazes of varying sizes across the country.
The month of August, when temperatures are high, winds blow strongly and woodland is parched, is traditionally the peak time for wildfires in Portugal and other southern European countries. Portuguese officials say fires are often started deliberately and spread quickly because forests are not cleared of dead wood.
Flames licked at homes around Funchal, casting a smoke plume over the downtown, according to video broadcast by cable news channel S.I.C Noticias. Frantic locals used garden hosepipes and buckets of water to keep the flames at bay as wind blew embers across roads.
Fire service officials said Madeira’s steep hills and dense woodland made it hard to reach the flames, which were fueled by high winds.
Eight Madeira firefighters required medical treatment after inhaling smoke as high winds fueled the blaze.
Some of the worst-hit areas were in northern Portugal, where temperatures have exceeded 30 degrees Celsius in recent days. The region’s pine and eucalyptus forests are tinder-dry after a long spell without significant rain.
In the area around Viseu, 290 kilometers north of the capital Lisbon, a wildfire forced the closure of a major highway. In nearby Agueda, roads were closed and power lines were cut by wildfires.
In Lisbon, yesterday was hazy with a smell of smoke caused by wildfires in the surrounding region.
Fire chiefs said some of their firefighters were exhausted after trying to put out blazes non-stop since Saturday, the hottest day of the year so far when temperatures reached 44 degrees Celsius. Barry Hatton, AP/MDT