Portugal’s wildfires produce record emissions with smoke headed for France and Spain

Deadly wildfires raging in northern Portugal have released record emissions, according to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). 

With several blazes burning since 14 September, Portugal has recorded the highest total estimated emissions for the month of September in 22 years of CAMS data. That includes both carbon emissions and harmful particulate matter pollutants like PM10 and PM2.5. 

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) pollution can result in serious health impacts, especially in vulnerable groups such as the young, elderly and those with respiratory problems. 

PM2.5 is made up of particles 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter, making its potential implications for public health more significant as they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and potentially enter the bloodstream. 

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro declared a “state of calamity” for the hardest-hit areas on Tuesday. On Wednesday, almost 4,000 firefighters were battling 42 active blazes with more than 1,000 vehicles and around 30 aircraft. 

Civil Protection has registered five deaths, excluding two civilians who died of sudden illness linked to the fires. Three of those killed were firefighters tackling the blazes. Over 150 more people have been injured, 12 of them seriously. 

The Portuguese Government declared Friday 20 Septembera national day of mourning to honour the victims. 

Officials said on Thursday that firefighters had most of the fires in the north of the country under control with improving weather conditions helping with efforts to tackle the rest. By the early hours of Friday morning, almost all of the wildfires had been extinguished. 

The fires started last weekend, fed by intense heat and strong winds and around 100,000 hectares