Portugal battles major wildfire as Europe heat wave endures

LISBON, Portugal – Emergency services in Portugal continued their fight Monday against a major, four-day wildfire on the south coast that threatened to engulf a hillside town overnight.

The Civil Protection Agency said 44 people required medical assistance as the blaze passed by the outskirts of Monchique, 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Lisbon, in the dark. A 72-year-old woman was seriously hurt.

Authorities said that more than 1,100 firefighters with 327 vehicles and eight aircraft were battling the blaze that erupted amid a heatwave caused by a mass of hot air from North Africa.

The rest of Europe has also felt the torrid recent weather.

In France, where four nuclear reactors have been temporarily closed due to the heat, three cities banned the most polluting cars from the roads because of heat-linked ozone pollution.

The heat wave in France is expected to last until Thursday, with temperatures peaking Tuesday.

After four days of intense heat that broke some records in Portugal, with temperatures surpassing 45 C (113 F), Portuguese authorities forecast a cooler period beginning Monday. The Algarve wasn't expected to exceed 30 C (86 F), while Lisbon was expecting 33 C (91 F).

Parts of the south and northeast of the country remained at "extreme risk" of wildfires, however, according to the national weather agency's forecast.

The falling temperatures helped create "much more favorable" conditions for firefighters tackling the Monchique blaze, local fire chief Abel Gomes told a news conference.

Overnight, dozens of homes and a hotel were evacuated around the town of about 2,000 people which is known for its spa.

The wind-driven fire has been racing across tinder-dry pine and eucalyptus forest in a largely inaccessible hill range behind the famous beaches of Portugal's Algarve vacation region.

Plumes of black smoke have blown across beaches popular with European tourists.

Firefighters expect forecast cooler temperatures to help them bring the fire under control.