LISBON (AFP) – Portugal’s civil protection agency yesterday said it had brought a wildfire which has ravaged 17,000 hectares under control in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-designated Serra da Estrela natural park.
The fire had been raging in the park for a week and was contained overnight, civil protection agency official Miguel Criz told TSF radio. “There is still a lot of work left” to prevent new fires, he said, adding that strong winds yesterday were a cause of concern for firefighters.
Interior Minister Jose Luis Carneiro on Friday termed the fire an “environmental tragedy”.
Portugal recorded its hottest July in nearly a century and wildfires this year have ravaged some 79,000 hectares.
