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On Monday, following rising temperatures, Portugal, which remains on high alert for extreme heat, sent reinforcements to combat three major wildfires.

More than 650 firefighters, supported by 226 vehicles and six helicopters, responded to the blaze in the village of Freches in the Trancoso region.

The fire, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds, threatened residents of at least four nearby villages.

Local media reported that at least 17 people, including six firefighters, were injured in the blaze.

Authorities said that the wildfires engulfing the villages of Palhais, Reboleiro, Aldeia Nova, and Aldeia Velha were the most concerning.

On Sunday afternoon, around 400 firefighters were deployed to extinguish a fire that broke out in the village of Sobral de São Miguel, in the municipality of Covilhã.

A source from the Beiras and Serra da Estrela Subregional Command told local media that “the situation is progressing positively” and that “in some areas the fire has already been brought under control, but three fronts remain active.”

On Sunday night, Covilhã Mayor Vítor Pereira predicted that the fire could be brought under control by Monday morning.

To fight a third fire, at least 86 firefighters were sent to the villages of Távora and Pereiro.

Since July, with temperatures continuing to rise and much of the country at risk of extreme heat, Portugal has mobilized thousands of firefighters to combat the blazes.

As of Monday, at least 12 districts in the country were under an orange alert due to extreme heat. Portuguese emergency authorities reported that the mainland is on high alert due to the risk of wildfires in rural areas.

The Portuguese National Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) reported that by mid-July, wildfires had burned 10,768 hectares, three times more than in the same period last year.

The ICNF noted that since 2017, fires in the country have become more aggressive.