LISBON: A man has died while assisting wildfire suppression efforts in Portugal, raising the death toll to three as multiple fires continue to rage across the country.

The victim was working for a company contracted to help the northern municipality of Mirandela combat the flames when the fatal accident occurred.

Commander Paulo Santos of the National Civil Protection Authority confirmed the incident involved construction equipment being used for fire containment operations.

The victim was initially cited as being 75 years old, however local city hall officials told AFP he was 65.

Two water-bombing airplanes sent by Sweden through the EU’s civil protection agency were deployed to assist operations in the Sabugal area.

Fire crews were still battling four large fires on Wednesday morning, with the most complex blazes raging in the north and centre of the country.

Over 2,600 firefighters have been deployed to combat the wildfires, supported by about 20 aircraft.

Neighbouring Spain has also experienced severe wildfire activity, with four fatalities and a record 373,000 hectares burned this year.

The fires have been fuelled by heatwaves and drought blamed on climate change.

Since the start of the year, more than 261,000 hectares in Portugal have been destroyed by fires, according to the European Forest Fire Information System, compared to 143,000 hectares in 2024.

Portugal experienced a particularly devastating fire season in 2017, with 563,000 hectares scorched and 119 people killed. – AFP