Wildfires in Portugal

As of August 21:

“*) Since 9 August, severe wildfires have continued to affect northern Portugal particularly the districts of Guarda, Castel Branco, Coimbra, Viseu, and Braganca, causing casualties and damage.

*) According to media, as of 21 August, the death toll has risen to three fatalities, including two in Coimbra and one in Mirandela municipality, in northeastern Portugal, due to a wildfire-related incident. In addition, approximately 15 people were injured in Sabugal city in the district of Guarda, in north-eastern Portugal.

*) 95 percent of the fires were extinguished before 90 minutes. The rest escaped the initial attack, but only 1 of them passed from yesterday to today.

*) Portugal has mobilised over 2,800 firefighters in the 4 biggest fires and significantly scaled up the use of its national aerial fleet to combat the ongoing wildfires, with 53 aerial missions during yesterday. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) was activated on 15 August to complement national efforts.

*) According to the Portuguese Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), as of 19 August wildfires have burnt an area of 894,770 hectares, which is the highest value in Europe since 2006.

*) The Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated in rapid mapping mode on 9 August for Portugal (EMSR831), and 15 maps have been produced so far.

*) According to the JRC European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), the fire danger forecast is expected to remain high to very over Portugal over the next 48 Hours.”

If fires are affecting locals, they will also affect tourists.

The forecast above (which is from a very reputable site) doesn’t extend into September. It remains to be seen how hot it will be then, but likely above what used to be normal. September is usually a dry month, with low humidity. This does not bode well for a September free of fires.

In Coimbra right now: “80 AQI. The air has reached a high level of pollution and is unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

Basically… it’s bad, but you might luck out. If you can get refunds on flights/hotels, your best bet might to be to stay tuned in to local news in the areas you are planning to visit, and then adjust accordingly if needed.

Hope the fires die out and it all goes well for you!

I haven't been to Portugal but I do live in a risky wildfire region. You may get other good suggestions but this is the site/app I like (changed location to evora so you can see):
https://www.iqair.com/qa/portugal/evora
I appreciate the listings of current fires And their containment (or not), all the aqi details, etc.
If you're someone not typically masking, I also suggest bringing some N95s, just in case.
Hopefully none of this is needed! Safe travels!

Most are in Spain or near the Portugal border. By September there may be none. If driving you need to remain flexible and have an alternate route planned out. A couple years ago we drove through areas of Spain where fires had been and only the burnt landscape spoiled our view.

I follow the wildfires using Google maps.

Bon voyage!

Thanks for posting the info on the IQAir.
Good info.

Thanks so much for these extremely informative and helpful responses to my question. This is why I love this forum! Very sorry to read these sad reports, so much for the people of Portugal and Spain to endure. Obviously, I will need to devote further time and thought to this. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond.