Portugal imposes 3-day high alert to prevent possible forest fires

By Senhan Bolelli

MADRID (AA) - Portugal's government began to impose a three-day entry ban to forests on Sunday to prevent possible fires.

The government banned entry to forests to prevent possible forest fires due to adverse weather conditions, including temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and wind.

As part of the alarm situation, patrol teams, including soldiers, were deployed in the forests.

The Civil Protection Agency also announced that an additional 500 firefighters will be recruited.

In the three-day measures, agricultural workers are allowed to work in their fields only until 11.00 a.m. (1000GMT), except for special permits.

Currently, fires continue in the northern Penafiel and Canelas regions in the country.

In Portugal, an area of 28,000 hectares (69,190 acres) burned in the mountainous region of Serra de Estrella just last week.

Over 70,000 hectares (172,974 acres) of forest land have been burned since the beginning of the year, the authorities reported, saying that this was 59% higher than the annual average of the past 10 years.