Portugal battles forest fires

Portugal has seen fewer forest fires than usual this year

LISBON, Portugal -- Strong westerly winds and high temperatures have sparked three forest fires in northern and central Portugal.

An emergency services spokesman told Reuters on Monday that 345 firefighters were trying to quell the biggest of the fires in mountains near Guarda, a city about 300 km (185 miles) northeast of the capital Lisbon.

Up to 225 firefighters backed by helicopters and tanker planes were also battling fires near the city of Viseu, about 60 km west of Guarda, and close to the town of Vila Real, about 360 km north of Lisbon. were supporting their efforts.

The size of the fires and their causes were not immediately known. The spokesman reported no injuries, but Lusa news agency said two men near Viseu and two women in Guarda had suffered burns and were in hospital.

A spokesman for the agriculture ministry's forestry service said 42,809 hectares of forest had been burned this year through September 2, well below the average of the prevous five years, in part because of a wet winter and a cool summer.

Temperatures in central Portugal are estimated at 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, with clear skies and winds from the west.

Hundreds of firefighters using helicopters and bulldozers also battled fires in parts of southeastern France on Monday.

However, the fires which started on Sunday night destroyed thousands of hectares of scrubland near France's border with Italy. About 100 houses and several campsiters near Marseilles had to be evacuated.

In a separate incident, vineyards in the Aude region and surrounding hills went up in smoke. Local officials say arson is suspected in some of the fires and police are investigating.