Are the forest fires raging in Portugal of criminal origin? The Portuguese police announced on Thursday, September 19, that they had arrested 14 people this week suspected of being behind them, reports the press agency Reuters. About ten fires have broken out in the country in recent days. This Thursday afternoon, the emergency services had only recorded four fires. “quite active” in the north of the country.
Read also: Smoke from wildfires in Portugal could reach France this weekend
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis), the total area affected by the fires of the last few days could exceed 100,000 hectares, ten times more than the area burned since the beginning of the summer.
A day of national mourning
These fires have beaten “from afar” Portugal’s carbon emissions record for September, the European Copernicus Observatory announced on Thursday, predicting that plumes of smoke will reach Spain and France on Saturday and Sunday.
Read also: IN PICTURES. Portugal: around forty forest fires are still ravaging the country
The toll in recent days stands at five dead, including four firefighters, and 90 injured, 12 of them seriously, prompting the government to declare a day of national mourning on Friday. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro had focused on the causes “criminal” fires, announcing the creation of investigation teams “specialized”.
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