A fourth person has died as a consequence of the wildfires that have devastated large parts of the north and central regions of Portugal since July.
Daniel Esteves was 45 years old. He worked for the forest protection company Afocelca owned by cellulose giants Altri and Navigator – and it was in this capacity that he became seriously injured on Tuesday in fire combat.
Esteves was the worst injured in a group of four other colleagues, all of whom are still being treated for their injuries in Coimbra hospital, writes Lusa – referring to a number of other people being treated in hospital for injuries suffered during the fires: there is a firefighter injured in the accident in Covilhã, in which a colleague died, a nurse who was injured “trying to help people fight flames in Vila Franca do Deão” (again where someone died), and the firefighter burned in the ‘fire ball incident’ in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Guarda, recently.
Both latter cases involve serious burns. According to Lusa, the prognosis of the nurse is particularly ‘guarded’.
As for the wildfire scourge that has marked the last month-plus, today is seeing just one active ‘major blaze’: the fire that began in Arganil on August 13 and has since spread catastrophically to several neighbouring municipalities. It is now in the borough of Seia, burning with two fronts causing ‘some concerns’ due to the continuing high temperatures (set to fall from tomorrow) and ‘uncertain wind’.
Source material: LUSA/ Expresso
