2024 Portugal wildfires | |
---|---|
Date(s) | 15 September–ongoing [1] |
Location | Central and Northern Portugal |
Statistics | |
Total fires | 1,040+ [2] |
Total area | 135,752 hectares (524.1 square miles) [3] |
Impacts | |
Deaths | 9 [4] [5] |
Non-fatal injuries | 168 [4] |
Structures destroyed | 60 [6] |
Ignition | |
Cause | Exceptionally dry conditions, excessive heat, strong wind gusts, possible arson [7] |
The 2024 Portugal wildfires are a series of more than 1,000 wildfires [2] , at least 128 labeled as devastating, that spread through central and northern Portugal since 15 September 2024, burning more than 135,000 hectares of land, resulting in the deaths of at least nine people [5] - amongst them were four firefighters -, the evacuation of several villages, and a response of over 5,000 firefighters with assistance from the European Union.
Wildfires began in mid-September and spread across central and northern Portugal, with at least 128 separate fires being reported by 16 September that had burned about 10,000 hectares (39 square miles) between the northern municipalities of Aveiro District and Porto District. [8] Blazes reached Albergaria-a-Velha in Aveiro District and burned down multiple houses. [9]
The triggering and rapid spread of the wildfires were caused by "unusually dry conditions" and strong gusts of wind that reached up to 70 km/h (43 mph), in addition to temperatures reaching or exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) from 14 to 16 September. [8] [9] At the same time, police has also arrested several people for suspected arson which, combined with the unusual weather and high temperature conditions, aggravated considerably the scale of the wildfires. [10]
At least nine people were killed due to the wildfires [5] , including three firefighters who were trapped inside a vehicle in Tábua, [11] and five civilians. [12] Portuguese police found the body of a victim of the wildfires, who worked at a logging company and was helping rescuing material when the fire came. [13] Nearby, one firefighter died in Oliveira de Azeméis after suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest as he battled nearby fires. Two more people suffered serious injuries which included burns and respiratory difficulties, requiring them to be hospitalized. [8] [9] [14] Twelve more firefighters were injured while combating blazes, four of whom were injured severely. [8]
The mayor of Albergaria-a-Velha, António Loureiro, reported that four houses had burnt down and at least twenty more were in danger in the town's residential and industrial perimeters, requiring the evacuation of several districts. Two more homes were destroyed in Cabeceiras de Basto, in Braga. [14]
A "special red alert" status was implemented across all of continental Portugal. Portuguese authorities issued evacuation orders for several villages close to the wildfires. Authorities also shut down several roadways close to ongoing wildfires and thick smoke, including sections of the main highway connecting Lisbon and Porto. [9] At least 70 residents were forced to evacuate in the Aveiro region. [8]
Over 5,000 firefighters and 1,500 fire engines were assigned to combat spreading fires across the nation. [8] Of these, about 1,100 firefighters and twelve firefighting aircraft were assigned to fight four fires in and around Aveiro district, including the one that entered Albergaria-a-Velha. Eight more firefighting aircraft were requested by Portugal from the European Commission under the RescEU program. Spain sent two aircraft while France and Greece both stated that they would send two more each. [9] President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU was "urgently mobilising" and requested that other EU member states also send assistance. [8]
The Associação de Futebol de Aveiro(Aveiro Football Association) is one of the 22 District Football Associations that are affiliated to the Portuguese Football Federation. The AF Aveiro administers lower tier football in the district of Aveiro.
Albergaria-a-Velha is a town and a municipality in the Aveiro District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 25,252, in an area of 158.83 km2. It had 19,687 eligible voters in 2006.
Linha do Vouga(the Vouga line) is the last surviving metre gauge railway line in Portugal still operated by Comboios de Portugal. The other remaining metre gauge lines all closed in 2009.
The 2009 Mediterranean wildfires were a series of wildfires that broke out across France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Turkey in July 2009. Strong winds spread the fire during a hot, dry period of weather killing at least eight people, six of whom were in Spain. Some of the wildfires were caused by lightning, along with arson and military training.
The Great Fire of Valparaíso started on 12 April 2014 at 16:40 local time, in the hills of the city of Valparaíso, Chile. The wildfire destroyed at least 2,500 homes, leaving 11,000 people homeless. An additional 6,000 people were evacuated from the city, which was placed on red alert and declared a disaster zone. Fifteen people were confirmed killed and ten suffered serious injuries.
Clube de Albergaria is a Portuguese women's football team from Albergaria-a-Velha.
The 2016 Portugal wildfires are a series of wildfires that burned across mainland Portugal and the Madeira archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean during August 2016 that prompted the evacuation of more than one thousand people and destroyed at least 37 homes near Funchal on Madeira island. Flights were also disrupted at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport due to high levels of smoke.
The following lists events during 2016 in Portugal.
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Events in the year 2022 in Portugal.
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Events in the year 2024 in Portugal.
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The 2024 South American wildfires refer to a colossal series of wildfires that significantly impacted several neighboring South American countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Based on Global Wildfire Information System satellite imaging, about 346,112 wildfire hotspots damaged or destroyed 75,095,358 hectares. The massive area burned was primarily caused by anthropogenic climate change and the resulting consequences of the 2023–2024 South American drought on fire conditions. The wildfires caused significant deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, and also impacted several other international biomes including the Pantanal wetlands, becoming the second largest series of wildfires in the 21st century next to the 2023–24 Australian bushfire season, with the 2024 Brazil wildfires alone reaching fourth in area burned.