Twenty-five major forest and brush fires raged on Tuesday afternoon, almost double the number earlier in the day, the biggest near the central city of Sabugal where over 200 firefighters were on the scene, the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) said.

However, by nightfall all but one of the main fires had been contained and the number of major fires had fallen back to 15, according to an update from the ANPC.

On Monday, the agency was called out to tackle a total of 416 forest fires, deploying 7,700 personnel, as a warm front caused temperatures to soar with the mercury hitting 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the centre of the country on Tuesday.

The national weather service has forecast temperatures should start falling from Friday.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Flood-triggered landslide in China leaves 21 missing Haiti's homeless on the move again as hurricanes loom Wildfire Prevention Pays Big Dividends In Florida Asia security forum to boost regional disaster relief Sweden's Larsson first to sell one million Kindle books Goodbye mouse, Apple's 'Magic Trackpad' goes on sale iPhone faces rising challenge from Android handsets: analyst Boeing Completes Critical Design Review Of Intelsat 22 Spacecraft S. America mulls tougher marine security Afghans yearn for water, security in Taliban heartland Warmer Climate Entails Increased Release Of Carbon Dioxide By Inland Lakes African lake warmest in 1,500 years In Arctic, scientists see dire effect of ocean acidification Satellite giving scientists 'ice' insights Himalayan ice shrivels in global warming: exhibit Footloose Glaciers Crack Up Seville to become as hot as Tucson by end of century: study Russian farmers suffer 'catastrophe' in baking summer Australia targets China's new 'wine class' Wacky Weather Could Squeeze Florida's Citrus Season China floods threaten ancient capital as more rain forecast New China floods feared as Yangtze swells Typhoon Chanthu lashes flood-hit China Singapore flood response not sufficient: Lee Kuan Yew Mubarak passes on African Union summit Rapid Losses Of Africa's Native Livestock Threaten Continent's Food Supply E.Africa in drive to develop neglected drylands Chad: No arrest for indicted Sudan leader Scientists use noses to help disabled write, surf, move New Hypothesis For Human Evolution And Human Nature Studies: Human evolution still going on Facebook membership hits 500 million mark