2016 Portugal wildfires
| 2016 Portugal wildfires | |
|---|---|
| Location | Mainland Portugal and Madeira archipelago |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | At least 515 as of 9 August |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | At least 4 |
| Non-fatal injuries | One seriously burned, scores of others treated for smoke inhalation |
| Structures destroyed | 37 |
The 2016 Portugal wildfires were a series of wildfires that burned across mainland Portugal and the Madeira archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean during August 2016, prompting the evacuation of more than one thousand people and destroying at least 37 homes near Funchal on Madeira Island. Flights at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport were also disrupted due to high levels of smoke.
At least seven major fires were reported to be out of control in northern Portugal on August 9. According to officials, the fires of Arouca and São Pedro do Sul were the biggest. Over 4,200 firefighters, backed by 30 aircraft, including some sent by Italy, Spain, and Morocco, battled fires together across the mainland. An emergency was declared in Portugal's northern Norte Region as firefighters battled numerous wildfires.