Another major fire ongoing in Portugal

Portugal continues to grapple with devastating wildfires. On 5 August, a blaze erupted near Odemira, in the Alentejo region, prompting a massive response with more than 800 firefighters and 202 vehicles to control the flames.

The severity of the fire resulted in the evacuation of four communities in Odemira (Vale dos Alhos, Vale de Água, Choça dos Vales, and Relva Grande) and a rural tourism area. The fire also encroached upon two protected areas, the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina and Zonas de Protecção Especial de Monchique, putting unique ecosystems and wildlife at significant risk. 

This image, captured by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 7 August, shows the hotspots and the massive smoke cloud generated by the wildfire reaching the Atlantic Ocean.