LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Portugal has asked the European Union for help in fighting massive wildfires after more than 50 blazes burned through forests and farmland across the country.
Conditions had deteriorated to a point where Portuguese authorities could not cope without external help, Interior minister Antonio Costa told reporters late Saturday.
"This is one of the worst years we've had for fires recently," Costa said. "We cannot overlook the serious effects of the drought we're undergoing and help is now needed."
Two Canadair firefighting planes were expected to arrive in Portugal from France on Sunday afternoon to help fight the 24 fires still ablaze.
Portugal's worst drought in years has helped the flames spread. So far, 11 firefighters and four civilians have been killed in this year's fires, while 50 houses have been completely destroyed.
The most serious fire was in the Pampilhosa da Serra region, in the district of Coimbra, 196 kilometers (122 miles) north of Lisbon. Although the fire had seemingly been extinguished last Wednesday after burning for five days, the flames flared up again on Friday, forcing several villages to be evacuated.
So far, 30,000 hectares (74,130 acres) of the region's 39,000 hectares (96,369.00 acres) have been destroyed, and 200 firefighters, 74 firetrucks and 25 firefighting planes and helicopters were battling the flames in the area.
Overall, about 2,900 firefighters helped by 795 firetrucks have fought blazes in Portugal. More than 200 police officers were also expected to arrive in the fire-stricken areas in the country's northern and central regions to help evacuate villages, block or reopen roads and ensure access for firetrucks and ambulances.
High temperatures and strong winds, which rekindled several fires on Saturday, were also forecast for Sunday and the coming days. Weather conditions meant 16 of Portugal's 18 districts were at the highest possible risk for fires, weather services said.
Portugal's summer wildfires have so far burned through 140,000 hectares (345,940 acres), already more than the total area burned last year, officials said.
Last year's fires burned 129,652 hectares (320,370 acres) and in 2003 -- the worst for wildfires in the last two decades -- the blazes burned 425,000 hectares (1,050,175 acres).
In CNN 21Aug2005
posted by Harish Bhatt at 20:44
2 Comments:
Well...only for the people who don't have any kind of contact with Portugal can be suprised by this news.
But this government instead of using their funds to get more suplies to help the firemans...no...they just say they don't have the money for it.But instead,they are working in 2 different projects for the country,one is a TGV train and another is a new airport in Lisbon.Both projects are highly expensive,with no kind of sponsership,and both are completly unacessary.
The only conclusion is that it's much easier to get some money in your pocket by some ways than others.
It's not even their houses that are burning...it's from the common people..the poor people who don't have anything now in their lifes.
Sad litle country :(
The solution is "simple": the people that are starting the fires, should have a taste of it. They don't deserve any mercy!
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