Lisbon : Hundreds of Portuguese firefighters on Sunday scrambled to put out a wildfire sweeping parts of the Atlantic island of Madeira’s south coast, a popular tourist destination, with strong winds complicating efforts to tackle the blaze.
The wildfire, which started on Wednesday in a remote rural area of Ribeira Brava has spread to the neighbouring municipality of Camara de Lobos, and now has three fronts, island authorities said.
Nearly 200 firefighters, backed by 38 vehicles are tackling the fire but high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames. A helicopter also battled the blaze but had to stop operating as the night set in, Reuters reported.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported, but 160 people have been evacuated for precaution.
