The pilot died when a fire-fighting plane crashed in northeastern Portugal. The single-engine seaplane crashed Friday afternoon for unknown reasons near the town of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, about 200 kilometers east of Porto, the civil defense said. 38-year-old pilot André Serra could only be found dead.
“He will be remembered for his bravery, courage and dedication,” the president’s office in Lisbon said in recognition of the pilot who died. The machine was involved in fighting a forest fire in the Torre de Moncorvo region, the Público newspaper reported, citing civil defense.
Entire village evacuated
According to civil defense, 13 larger and dozens of smaller fires are currently raging in the popular holiday destination. In Bragança, a region near the Spanish border, flames spread to Portuguese territory due to a fire that had started on Spanish soil. An entire village had to be evacuated (see video above). Other places or tourist areas were not in danger for the time being. In total, about 1,000 firefighters are deployed.
The string of fires that started a week ago is aided by a drought and heat that has been going on for months. According to the ICNF, the fire has destroyed more than 25,000 hectares in just one week – the equivalent of about 35,000 football fields.
Extreme heat
Like neighboring Spain, Portugal suffers from peak temperatures of over 40 degrees. A total of 33 forest fires were registered in Spain on Saturday morning, 14 of which got out of hand. Near Málaga, 2,300 people had to leave their homes in the town of Alhaurín el Grande because of the approaching flames, according to the newspaper “El País”.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
