Inferno Engulfs Portugal: Firefighter Suffers Severe Burns

A firefighter in Portugal has suffered severe burns as he was engulfed by one of the wildfires currently devastating central and northern regions of the country. The incident occurred when the blaze abruptly changed direction, surrounding his fire engine, officials from the civil protection authority confirmed.

Video footage showed three firefighters escaping as flames, driven by strong winds, approached their vehicle in Valverde. A medical helicopter promptly responded to the scene to aid the injured firefighter, identified as the truck driver. The fires in Portugal have claimed at least three lives in the past week and have burned through 274,000 hectares of land.

This year marks the worst for wildfires in Portugal since 2017. The neighboring country, Spain, is also battling significant blazes, compounded by a 16-day heatwave before the flames erupted. Spain's fire-affected area has surpassed 400,000 hectares, setting a record since 2006.

(With inputs from agencies.)