Portugal's largest wildfire brought under control
The wildfire that erupted in Piodao, Arganil on Aug. 13 has become the largest wildfire in Portugal's recorded history in terms of area burned, scorching 64,451 hectares, according to a report on Monday, Xinhua reports.
The report, published by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), confirms that the fire surpassed the previous record set by the 2017 Lousa fire in Vilarinho, which scorched 53,000 hectares.
The blaze began at around 6 a.m. local time on Aug. 13, triggered by two lightning strikes on a remote ridge, and spread rapidly in the first hours.
It raged for 11 days, spreading into multiple municipalities in central Portugal before being brought under control on Sunday.
As of Sunday, Portugal had registered 80 major wildfires this year, with each burning more than 100 hectares, accounting for 97 percent of the total burned area nationwide. The districts of Guarda, Viseu and Castelo Branco have been the hardest hit.
Earlier, it was reported, wildfires burnt nearly 900,000 hectares across EU in 2025.
