Portuguese firefighters on Wednesday (September 7) struggled to control six active wildfires in several parts of the country.
In the town of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, at least 15,000 hectares have burned in the last two days, according to local authorities.
The fire surrounded villages but firefighters prevented flames from reaching houses.
Other districts affected by the fires were Viseu, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Braganca, Vila Real and Faro.
Summer forest fires are common in Portugal, which in 2003 suffered its deadliest blazes, killing 19 people and destroying around 10 percent of the country’s forests on over 2,100 sq km.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016