LISBON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A wildfire in Portugal's Peneda-Geres National Park has burned 5,786 hectares of protected area, according to preliminary data released Monday by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
The fire that broke out on July 26 in the municipality of Ponte da Barca has been under control since Sunday. It has scorched a total of 7,550 hectares, with 5,786 hectares within the national park, the ICNF said in its latest assessment.
Peneda-Geres National Park spans 69,596 hectares and covers parts of the districts of Braga, Viana do Castelo, and Vila Real.
According to the Lusa News Agency, Augusto Marinho, mayor of Ponte da Barca in Viana do Castelo district, said that nearly the entire portion of the park within his municipality was burned, with only a small portion left untouched. He estimated that more than 7,500 hectares inside the park had been affected.
The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection reported on its website that, as of Monday noon, 85 active wildfires remained active across Portugal. A total of 2,752 firefighters, 837 vehicles, and 20 aircraft were deployed to combat the blazes. ■
