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Portugal fires 'mostly controlled'
LISBON, Portugal -- Fire crews have brought Portugal's worst wildfires in a generation mostly under control -- but forecasts of more soaring temperatures have sparked fears of new blazes. Antonio Gualdino, spokesman for the National Fire Coordination Center, told The Associated Press that firefighters and troops were patrolling forests to ensure the blazes were extinguished. Eleven people have been killed in the past 10 days by the fires. "It's the calmest day so far ... but we can't let our guard down and lose what we've gained," Gualdino said. Some 1,500 firefighters and about 600 vehicles, supported by 700 troops and dozens of aircraft, were on standby, Gualdino said. Strong winds have stoked fires that have destroyed about 54,000 hectares (133,400 acres) of forest, mostly in rural parts of central Portugal, according to the Forest Service. As well, a heat wave has raised temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in many parts of the country, where summer temperatures normally hover around 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit). Portugal asked NATO for planes and helicopters to help fight the fires. "It wasn't a fire, it was hell. There are no words to describe this," said Pedro Carvalho, who led about 140 firefighters against an overnight blaze at Degolados, a mountain village about 120 miles northeast of Lisbon, told Reuters. Pointing up a blackened hillside of charred pine and eucalyptus trees, he said flames had covered the slope in 10 minutes. "I've seen a lot, but I've never seen anything of this size," the 20-year fire service veteran said as firefighters hosed down smouldering trees. "The men are worn out." Forest fires have also claimed lives in France and Spain as a heat wave engulfs much of Europe. (French fires) The heat was blamed for the deaths of four more people in Spain on Tuesday and strained power supplies in Italy as the population tried to stay cool. The high temperatures have stoked forest fires from Poland to the Iberian Peninsula, with Portugal's blazes so extensive they can be seen in satellite pictures. Eleven wildfires raged in Spain's southwestern region of Extremadura, five of them under control, officials said. Nearly 1,100 people in southwestern and northern Spain have been evacuated because of fires. German firefighters had largely put out blazes in the eastern state of Brandenburg by early Tuesday. However, authorities barred people from entering forests in parts of Brandenburg to lessen the risk of fire. Polish fire crews battled 35 forest blazes Monday and about a quarter of its woodlands were at serious risk of fire, authorities said. The alpine nation of Slovenia was also sweltering, with the capital Ljubljana registering a record 35th day this year of temperatures over 86 Fahrenheit. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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