Six Killed Battling Portuguese Forest Fires
Hector Duarte Jr. - All Headline News Staff Reporter Lisbon, Portugal (AHN) - Six firefighters were killed while battling a forest fire in Central Portugal. Officials say they were surrounded and had no way of escaping the flames. Five of the six killed were Chilean employees of a company that offers firefighting services to pulp and paper plants, and were assisting local firefighters. The fire was one of six blazes and was ignited Sunday afternoon in the Famalicao area near the town of Guarda. Rising temperature throughout the country has caused extremely dry conditions. Firefighting commander Gil Martins said the men were trapped after the wind suddenly changed direction. He told the BBC, "Forest fires are treacherous and unpredictable. This is a mountainous area with local winds and something went wrong. Only an inquiry will say what." The ministry of internal administration has opened an investigation Over 100 firefighters, with the aid of aircraft are still trying to control the blaze. Portugal was engulfed by forest fires last year that burned over 741,000 acres of forest and agricultural lands. At least sixteen people were killed.
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