At least three dead in Portugal wildfires as flames creep into downtown Funchal

A wildfire ripping across a popular Portuguese tourist town has killed at least four people and forced more than 1,000 others to evacuate, local authorities said Wednesday.

The blaze roared into Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira Islands, in the early morning on Wednesday after growing in the dense woodlands since Monday.

At least three dozen houses and a five-star hotel have burned down, Miguel Albuquerque, head of Madeira’s regional government, told reporters in a televised press conference.

Funchal, which sits off the coast of northwestern Africa, has a population of around 112,000 people.

Funchal’s fire began during a summer heatwave, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The flames have also been stoked by strong winds, according to the official.

The hot, dry weather has sparked a string of blazes across Madeira in recent days and fueled an outbreak of hundreds of forest fires on mainland Portugal, which firefighters are still struggling to control.

In Funchal, more than 300 people have required medical treatment for smoke inhalation and burns, the Associated Press reported.

Around 1,000 residents and tourists fled their homes and hotels during the night to flee the encroaching flames. Residents described a frantic escape, with people racing away in their cars at high speed and on the opposite side of the road, according to the AP.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Madeira authorities said they hoped cooler temperatures this evening and a drop in wind speeds would help them gain control over the Funchal wildfire.

However, computer model projections show that blisteringly hot conditions will make a return to Madeira, as well as mainland Portugal, France and the U.K., over the weekend.

Additional reporting by Andrew Freedman and the Associated Press.

This post was updated at 5:30 EDT to reflect the raised death toll.