Portugal reports over 300 firefighter injuries due to wildfires

In Portugal, the Liga dos Bombeiros Portugueses (LBP) reported that more than 300 volunteer firefighters have been injured in the line of duty this year. Most of these injuries occurred during the combat of rural fires. The LBP noted that the actual number could be higher as reporting is not mandatory. LBP President António Nunes expressed concern over the rising numbers, attributing the increase to the growing intensity of wildfires. In response, a working group has been established under the State Secretariat for Civil Protection to review insurance coverage for volunteer firefighters, which currently has a treatment limit of 88,000 euros.

In Brazil, various local incidents involving emergency services were reported, including a fire in a restaurant in Joaçaba caused by a forgotten electric fryer, and a kitchen fire in Pouso Alegre that authorities suspect may have been criminal. In Apucarana, heavy storms led to dozens of emergency calls, prompting the fire department to distribute over 2,100 tarps to protect homes.