1,000 firefighters, 15 aircraft battle wildfire in Portugal

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Almost 1,000 firefighters and 15 water-dropping aircraft are battling a major wildfire in central Portugal. Officials said Monday that strong winds were pushing the flames through dense and hilly woodland. The blaze was in central Portugal around Proença-a-Nova, 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Lisbon. The wildfire began Sunday, and five firefighters suffered burns in the initial stages as their vehicle was caught in the flames. Large wildfires occur each year in Portugal, where poor forest management is blamed for repeated outbreaks. Two major blazes in Portugal three years ago killed 106 people.