Wildfires?

We had a very hot few days a week ago - when the fires started. But, it's now in the 70s and beautiful. The wildfires do happen in the summer but really don't impact most of the country. They are in the rural areas and the recent ones were the worst in the history of the country (as far as loss of life) - so certainly not the norm. The wildfire portions of the country do not extend across the entire country. It's like the wildfires in California that happen yearly don't affect the entire state.

Most people visit the bigger cities - certainly on their first trip to the country. And, Lisbon, Porto, the Douro, the Alentejo and Algarve - the common tourist tracks - were unaffected. Those areas were much more affected by the heat than the fires.

And, the train system in Portugal is quite good so you don't really need a car if you want to stick to the cities. Your biggest concern at this point would be finding accommodations as August/September are very busy times of the year.

Thanks for sharing your input. Which parts of the country are prone to the wildfires? Where I'm from, it is the same way...some parts of the region are prone to wildfires but near my house it is not a concern. I'm hoping to understand more about what the risk is like in Portugal. We can always choose to go another time of year if we risk getting stuck in the fires during a long hot summer (we have cancelled trips in our region for the same reason), but if there is no risk of wildfire in some parts of the country, then we will go at the end of the summer.

We plan to drive since we really enjoyed driving in Greece and heard that some parts of the Algarve require a car. However, that is good to know about possible difficulty finding accommodation...we may be settling the details pretty last minute, so hopefully that won't be impossible!

As this is only my second full summer here, I have limited knowledge. But, the Algarve (from observations when visiting) is not full of forests like the northern inland parts of the country. I think it shouldn't be as prone to fires. And, yes, driving in the Algarve is your best bet.
Around Lisbon and Porto, you should have no problems. And, Evora, which is lovely doesn't have the thick eucalyptus forests either. If you can give me some idea of where you are thinking of traveling, I might be able to give you more input.

Wanted to revisit this thread. I know that nobody can predict where wildfires will break out. I'm wondering: is pretty much anywhere in Portugal fair game for wildfires at this point with the severe drought? I know it is worst in central/northern Portugal, but I'm having a hard time gauging how much we'd risk having our trip impacted by wildfires if we went to Lisbon/Algavre area. I've had to cancel a trip to another location at the last minute before due to wildfires, so I'd prefer not to do so again, though it would make me sad to miss out on a trip to Portugal. Any input is welcome!

The Lisbon area continues to be fire free and not at all impacted by fires. The fires in the Algarve seem to be in the more eastern areas and those more inland (Monchique). The western Algarve is the better area IMO, so that wouldn't really negatively impact a trip there.
There is an online newspaper in English - The Portugal News - that you can check. The info is brief but pretty up to date.
I obviously can't predict what will happen but you can definitely still visit without being impacted or in danger. And, it's still those areas with lots of Eucalyptus trees that at highest risk.

Thanks for clarifying!