The large fire that is punishing today the vicinity of the Portuguese town of Cascais, some 35 kilometers from Lisbon, forced the evacuation of a village in the area and an increase in troops to fight the fire, fueled by the wind and drought.
About 650 firefighters are working to extinguish the fire, which began in a wooded area near Cascais and which, so far, has not caused damage to nearby homes, although the village of Zambujeiro has been evacuated preventively.
The greatest risk is the wind, with gusts of more than 20 kilometers, which has fueled the flames and is causing the repositioning of the troops, according to Hugo Santos, the area’s Civil Protection commander, who admitted that “the next few hours will be very difficult”.
The fire has forced traffic to be cut off on the A5 motorway and on nearby roads.
