Forest fires stretch Portuguese emergency services

Portuguese firefighters battled forest blazes overnight while 10 major outbreaks still raced out of control today.

More than 1,000 firefighters were deployed across the country as temperatures in some regions were forecast to exceed 45C (113F), the Civil Protection Service said. Strong winds drove night-time fires across roads and through firebreaks.

The Fire Prevention Agency placed most of Portugal on maximum alert as the country was enduring its worst drought on record. The heatwave is expected to continue until Saturday.

Fires have so far charred more than 168,000 acres of woodland this year, more than half of it last month, according to the General-Directorate for Forests.