Tourists in Portugal Remain Vigilant as Deadly Wildfires Threaten Country

It’s been a year for weather records with record heat striking tourist destinations around the world. With all of the heat and dry weather, summer wildfires have broken out around the world. Unfortunately, some of them in Europe have now turned deadly.

Deadly Wildfires in Portugal

Tourists have been placed on high alert in Portugal where some of the wildfires raging across the country have now turned deadly.

With temperatures well in excess of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, an unusually hot temperature in areas with out wide use of air conditioning, northern and central Portugal have been the most impacted by wildfires in the country.

According to news reports, at least seven people have already lost their lives, including three firefighters in the line of duty.

Two female and one male firefighter lost their lives in a dramatic stand to protect property in central Portugal near the town of in Tábua in Coimbra, the local civil protection agency reported to the British news agency BBC.

5,000 Firefighters Fighting 65 Fires

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro reported to the news that the country has dispatched more than 5,000 firefighting personnel and supporting equipment to battle the wildfires “raging across the country.”

It was announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had called upon nearby European Union nations for additional firefighters and equipment to fight the wildfires.

Prime Minister Montenegro thanked France, Greece, Italy and Spain for their “rapid and essential help in combating this scourge” in a post on the social media channel.

Eight water tanker aircraft were immediately dispatched to the most critical wildfire fronts by the European Union to protect areas at risk from the worst damage.

Tourists Impacted by Wildfires

According to the Portuguese news media outlet Lusa, more than 37 square miles of land had already been burned between Porto and Aveiro in the north as of earlier this week.

This has led to closure of the key main road between two main travel destinations in Portugal – the capital city of Lisbon and Porto. 

Tourists have been forced to reschedule their travels between the two cities while on vacation or find alternate routes that require longer distances and more travel time.

Travelers have also been…