LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Portugal has suffered the second worst wildfire season in the last 15 years, according to figures released by firefighting officials Wednesday.
Blazes have destroyed the equivalent of 300,000 soccer fields in agricultural and forest land across the country, the president of the National Firefighters League Duarte Caldeira told Lusa news agency.
''I am sure that by now we have surpassed the 300,000 hectare (741,316 acres) figure, which is the equivalent of 300,000 soccer fields,'' Caldeira said. ''This makes it the worst year for fires in the last 15 years, right after 2003.''
Portugal has been experiencing one of its worst droughts ever, and the dry conditions have fed the fires. Temperatures are currently also higher than normal for the season.
Last week, more than a dozen blazes returned to central and northern Portugal following the devastating July and August fires which charred land, forest and property and claimed the lives of 18 people.
Weather forecasts were predicting high temperatures and dry weather at least until the coming weekend, putting some 13 districts at high or maximum risk for fires on Wednesday.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press
