2024 Portugal wildfires

2024 Portugal wildfires
Date(s)	15 September–ongoing
Location	Central and Northern Portugal
Statistics
Total fires	370+
Total area	121,342 hectares (468.5 square miles)
Impacts
Deaths	7
Non-fatal injuries	143
Structures destroyed	60
Ignition
Cause	Exceptionally dry conditions, excessive heat, strong wind gusts, possible arson

The 2024 Portugal wildfires are a series of at least 128 devastating wildfires that spread through central and northern Portugal in September 2024, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people - amongst them were four firefighters -, the evacuation of several villages, and a response of over 5,000 firefighters with assistance from the European Union.

Wildfires

See also: 2024 European heatwaves

Wildfires began in mid-September and spread across central and northern Portugal, with at least 128 separate fires being reported by 16 September that had burned about 10,000 hectares (39 square miles) between the northern municipalities of Aveiro District and Porto District. Blazes reached Albergaria-a-Velha in Aveiro District and burned down multiple houses.

The triggering and rapid spread of the wildfires were caused by "unusually dry conditions" and strong gusts of wind that reached up to 70 km/h (43 mph), in addition to temperatures reaching or exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) from 14 to 16 September.

Impact

At least seven people were killed due to the wildfires, including three firefighters who were trapped inside a vehicle in Tábua, and three civilians. Portuguese police found the body of a victim of the wildfires, who was working at a logging company when the fires came. Nearby, one firefighter died in Oliveira de Azeméis after suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest as he battled nearby fires. Two more people suffered serious injuries which included burns and respiratory difficulties, requiring them to be hospitalized. Twelve more firefighters were injured while combating blazes, four of whom were injured severely.

The mayor of Albergaria-a-Velha, António Loureiro, reported that four houses had burnt down and at least twenty more were in danger in the town's residential and industrial perimeters, requiring the evacuation of several districts. Two more homes were destroyed in Cabeceiras de Basto, in Braga.

Response

A "special red alert" status was implemented across all of continental Portugal. Portuguese authorities issued evacuation orders for several villages close to the wildfires. Authorities also shut down several roadways close to ongoing wildfires and thick smoke, including sections of the main highway connecting Lisbon and Porto. At least 70 residents were forced to evacuate in the Aveiro region.

Over 5,000 firefighters and 1,500 fire engines were assigned to combat spreading fires across the nation. Of these, about 1,100 firefighters and twelve firefighting aircraft were assigned to fight four fires in and around Aveiro district, including the one that entered Albergaria-a-Velha. Eight more firefighting aircraft were requested by Portugal from the European Commission under the RescEU program. Spain sent two aircraft while France and Greece both stated that they would send two more each. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU was "urgently mobilising" and requested that other EU member states also send assistance.

See also

• 2024 European floods – Concurrent European climate-related disaster
• 2024 Attica wildfires
• 2024 Russian wildfires
• 2024 Turkey wildfires