Many more residents are being evacuated. No foul play is currently suspected.
A dry thunderstorm is believed to have been the initial cause of the disaster. The area is experiencing a brutal heatwave with temperatures hovering around 1.
Fahrenheit. With no rainfall, a lightning strike likely set off the blaze. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa tells the New York Times that firefighters are facing a perfect storm of “temperature, wind, and zero humidity.”In recent years, Portugal has experienced numerous wildfires, but none like this. In August of last year, the island of Madeira was devastated by a fire that killed three people and more than a thousand had to be evacuated from their homes. Leaders from around the world have expressed their condolences and the government has declared three days of national mourning.