LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Nine Portuguese firefighters were injured Monday while tackling two wildfires near where 64 people died in a forest blaze last month, emergency services said.
Six of the injured firefighters worked for a private company and were helping public services at a fire, the Civil Protection Agency said.
The injured were taken to a local hospital, where Dr. Cristina Goncalves told TVI that two of them were in serious condition due to smoke inhalation, six had burns and another had a leg injury.
Authorities were not immediately available to describe how the injuries occurred.
The two fires were in the central region of Tomar, 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Lisbon, where temperatures were around 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). More than 400 firefighters and eight water-dropping aircraft were deployed, and officials said they were gradually bringing the blazes under control.
The fires were in a forest area 40 kilometers (25 miles) away from Pedrogao Grande, where dozens died in a blaze on June 17.
Wildfires are a common occurrence in Portugal during the summer.
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