Portugal wildfires causing record smoke emissions - EU

The European Union's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service has said wildfires currently raging in Portugal are resulting in record smoke emissions for September in the region.

It warned that the smoke plumes will reach parts of Spain and France over the weekend affecting air quality there.

A significant degradation in air quality over northern Portugal is expected for the next few days and concentrations of fine particulate matter PM2.5 in the air will remain relatively high until at least 25 September.

This is leading to heightened public health concerns in the region.

PM2.5 refers to particulate matter that is 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter.

These particles of pollution are so small they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and potentially enter the bloodstream increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and other illnesses.

Several significant wildfires have developed in northern Portugal in recent days, causing many fatalities and significant damage to property.

Portugal’s civil protection service said there are currently 107 active fires mainly in the north of the country, with almost 4,000 firefighters mobilised.

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said its measurements show the wildfires have already released the highest level of carbon emissions for September in dataset records for Portugal stretching back 22 years.

The estimated total carbon emissions, used as an indicator for the strength of the fires, are 1.9 megatonnes of carbon up to 18 September.

This far exceeds the previous highest September total for Portugal of approximately one megatonne of carbon in 2003.

The air quality forecasts show that the smoke plumes originating from these wildfires have been moving out towards the Atlantic but are predicted to recirculate across the northern Iberian Peninsula, through the Bay of Biscay towards western France in the coming days.

Copernicus said is important to note that the rain forecast for the end of the week may help to extinguish or reduce the number of fires.

Portuguese police arrest 14 suspected arsonists over wildfires

Meanwhile, Portuguese police have arrested 14 suspected arsonists this week, who may have set some of the dozens of deadly wildfires raging across the country, contributing to the fire risks stemming from climate change and rural depopulation.

The blazes have claimed at least seven lives and destroyed houses, factories and tens of thousands of hectares of forest.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro promised tough "repressive action" against such crimes "committed in the name of particular interests", without specifying further.

Salvador Pinho Ferreira de Almeida, a Lusofona University professor specialised in civil protection, told Reuters there were strong signs of criminal activity, because many of the fires "started at night and it's very bizarre to see so many outbreaks and so scattered".

Researcher and criminologist Andre Inacio said arson was likely aggravating "a climate situation in which we have dry forests and very strong winds", even if the first outbreaks may have been accidental.