Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00As violent winds push trees back and forth, the red glow of flames approaches this patch
00:07of forest in Portugal.
00:09Firefighters were still battling difficult conditions in the early hours of Wednesday
00:13morning, one day after three firefighters died when their truck became trapped by fire
00:19in the central region of Coimbra.
00:22About 50 kilometres north, these residents in Agueda watched on in disbelief as a blaze
00:28ravaged the outskirts of their neighbourhood and destroyed a warehouse.
00:32I was the owner of the warehouse, I had a small construction company, I worked all my
00:42life for 65 years, 70 years and everything is destroyed.
00:50Meanwhile truck drivers were left stranded after fires forced road closures including
00:55a section of the main highway linking Lisbon and Porto.
00:58Some, having been stuck for more than 30 hours, were frustrated at the lack of information
01:03from authorities.
01:04A few minutes away, locals decided to help firefighters by offering them food and drink.
01:10We know they're very tired and then as they don't have access to food and water we're
01:16trying to help and it's our way of thanking them.
01:20By early Wednesday, more than 5,500 firefighters and about 20 aircraft were battling fires
01:27located mostly in the country's north.
01:30This after authorities had invoked the European Union's civil protection mechanism to obtain
01:35additional water bombers.
01:37The Portuguese government has extended an alert warning until Thursday evening.