Sawt Falasteen - Portugal battles to contain wildfires

Seventeen major fires blazed with the most serious in the centre and north of the country.

Some 750 firefighters sought to control a blaze in a eucalyptus forest in the Arouca municipality of central Portugal.

"This is currently the fire on which we are concentrating all efforts and reinforcements," Mario Silvestre, head of the National Authority for Civil Protection, told a press conference.

Hundreds more battled a blaze near the central town of Penamacor and one on a mountain at Ponte da Barca near the northern border with Spain. Four Spanish water carrying planes joined the effort on Monday.

"We are experiencing a difficult moment," Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said after visiting the national emergency service headquarters.

In all, 26 firefighting aircraft were in the air, civil protection officials said.

Some 20 people, including 14 firefighters, were treated for minor injuries.

The Ponte da Barca fire, which started on Saturday, forced the evacuation of some people to a local church and burnt nearly 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land, according to preliminary estimates.

Authorities said the fires could worsen in coming days because of the heat.

Like many countries, Portugal faces wildfires every summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of droughts and fires around the world.

W.Mansour--SF-PST