(MENAFN) Portugal has suffered widespread wildfires this year, with roughly 139,000 hectares burned by mid-August, nearly half of which occurred over just the past two days. This area is 17 times larger than the land affected during the same period last year, according to provisional data from national authorities.

Between January 1 and August 14, 74,931 hectares were lost to fires, but by Saturday the total had surged to 139,091 hectares, with 64,160 hectares consumed in just 48 hours—accounting for 46 percent of the year’s total. So far, 6,229 rural fires have been recorded: approximately 50 percent in scrubland, 40 percent in forests, and 10 percent in farmland. Compared with last year, the number of fires has risen by 79 percent.

Portugal has been on high wildfire alert since August 2. European assistance will arrive shortly, with two firefighting aircraft expected to reach the country on Sunday.

Tragically, the first wildfire fatality of the summer was reported on Friday. Local authorities confirmed that the former parish council president of Vila Franca do Deao, in the Guarda district, died while attempting to fight the flames, and his charred body was later recovered.

As of Saturday afternoon, 44 active wildfires were still burning across the country, according to emergency management authorities.

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