Wildfires continue rampage through Portugal
Wildfires fanned by high winds burned out of control across Portugal today, with hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes.
One city was surrounded by flames and burning homes, with residents forced to evacuate.
More that 25 fires were ablaze today, and authorities mobilised a total of 2,700 firefighters.
The Armed Forces also sent 600 men over the weekend to monitor operations in areas where fires had been extinguished.
Lisbon called for help from the European Union over the weekend in fighting the fires, with the Interior Ministry saying Portuguese authorities could no longer cope alone.
France sent two Canadair firefighting planes to Portugal yesterday, and Spain sent one, while three helicopters from Germany and another Canadair from Italy were due to start firefighting operations tomorrow.
The European Commission today said in a statement that other countries were mobilising support.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is in Portugal, and said he welcomed the speed of the response to the request for help.
