Forest fires are not unusual in Portugal during the hot summer months. Among the victims was an elderly woman in the outskirts of Funchal who did not leave her home on time.
Advertisement
Wildfires have also affected the Portuguese mainland in recent days as temperatures continue to climb.
Footage showed plumes of smoke over central Funchal on Tuesday and residents using hosepipes to try to quench fires as burning embers were carried by the wind. Flames from forest fires licked at homes around Fu.
Temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit have contributed to causing fires.
According to The National Civil Protection Service, over 4,000 firefighters supported by 26 water-dumping planes and 1,262 vehicles were attending 149 blazes of varying sizes across the country.
He said 80 people were in hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, including two in a serious condition. Eighty people remain hospitalized, he said.
Madeira attracts more than a million visitors a year as tourism is the mainstay of its economy.
Flights to and from the airport have also been disrupted by strong winds blowing smoke across the runways.
Firefighters said steep hills and dense woods have made it hard to fight the flames. Police said they arrested a man suspected of starting the fire.
The evacuated people were taken to an army barracks, a soccer stadium and a civic centre on the island.
Other buildings had been damaged by flames, officials said yesterday.
Advertisement
Portuguese Premier Antonio Costa has announced the deployment of military reinforcements from Lisbon and the government has activated the European Union emergency plan, securing assistance from two spanish and one Italian firefighting planes.
