LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Over 700 firefighters are battling a forest fire about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Lisbon, the Portuguese capital.
Portugal's civil protection agency says Sunday the fire that started overnight in a national park has forced the evacuation of 47 people and injured two firefighters. It says the firefighters on the ground are being supported by six aerial fire-fighting units.
Wildfires routinely blacken large areas of forest every year in Portugal. But last year they killed 106 people in what was by far the deadliest summer fire season on record.
It was also a wake-up call for authorities, who were slow to react to social trends and a changing climate. This year the government enacted a raft of preventive measures to make sure fire deaths were reduced.
