More than 163,000 hectares of Portugal's forest have burned this year, three times more than usual, prompting the government to declare parts of the country in a "state of public calamity". The fires are also threatening Europe's largest remaining forest, which is home to endangered species such as orangutans, tigers, bears and elephants.
More than 163,000 hectares of Portugal's forest have burned this year, three times more than usual, prompting the government to declare parts of the country in a "state of public calamity". The move enables the triggering of "preventative effects" in affected regions, ahead of a weekend in which temperatures are set to hit 40C. Last weekend, 268 fires blazed countrywide, while in the past several days, 80 people have been hurt.