A man killed in an accident during fire operations in Portugal, the balance is growing three dead

A man died in the accident of a site machine during fire operations in northern Portugal, bringing to three the mortal balance of forest fires since the end of July, the Civil Protection announced on Wednesday, August 20.

The victim “worked for a company recruited by the municipality of Mirandela” to “help in fire fighting operations,” said Commander Paulo Santos at the AFP, the National Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC). The man was 75 years old, but the city council where the AFP accident took place that he was actually 65 years old.

On Tuesday, the fires also caused fifteen injured, including a severe forest shelf, 45, burned in a fire in Sabugal (center), where the two aircraft sent by Sweden operated as part of the Civil Protection mechanism of the European Union.

“A certain punctual disorganization”

Portugal is still fighting with four main fires on Wednesday, the most complex of which is enraged in the north and center of the country. More than 2,600 firefighters supported by about twenty airplanes and helicopters are deployed. In the center of the country, the Arganil fire, which has been furious for a week, has only mobilized more than 1,600 firefighters.

In Portugal, criticism of fire management intensifies and the opposition requires an explanation of the government. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who attended Covilha (center) on Tuesday morning at the funeral of a firefighter who died on Sunday, was taken there by residents.

The Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Rui Rocha, acknowledged that there was “some punctual disorganization” due to “the complexity of the intervention field” during an interview on Tuesday in SIC News Television.

But the Government said that it evaluated “from the first day” the damage caused by fires to quickly identify losses and quickly implement the necessary help for affected populations.

According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), an indicator of the Copernician European Observatory, more than 261,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of the year in Portugal, compared to 143,000 throughout the year 2024. In 2017, more than 563,000 hectares had burned, especially during devastating fires that had left 119 deaths.