Over 100 people evacuated in Portugal as wildfire rages

Lisbon Aug 17 (IANS) Some 133 people were evacuated from Macao in Portugal as an intense wildfire raged outside the town on Thursday.

According to the National Authority for Civil Protection (ProCiv) 970 firefighters 260 fire trucks and 15 airplanes were deployed to combat the flames reports Efe news.

The wildfire began on Wednesday at dawn and forced several national roads to shut down.

Spain has sent four planes 163 firefighters and 27 trucks to help with the efforts to extinguish the flames.

Over the last week the battle against the fires that have ravaged central Portugal has left at least 86 people injured of which seven are in serious condition.

Another three large wildfires remain active throughout the country.

The largest which erupted on Tuesday in the village of Vila do Rei in the Centro region has over 363 firefighters and 100 trucks battling to control the flames.

--IANS
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