Portugal battles wildfires
LISBON, Portugal -- Portugal says it is dispatching more military personnel to help fight wildfires that have burned for four days.
There are already 250 soldiers aiding firefighters on the ground, and several European countries are sending helicopters and water-dropping planes.
The fires have destroyed thousands of hectares (acres) of forest and wildlife areas.
Seventeen blazes have been burning in districts across the Iberian nation, where temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and strong dry winds have fueled flames, The Associated Press reported.
Earlier in the week, some 1,400 people were involved in fighting fires in the districts of Castelo Branco, Mafra, Santarem and Vila Real, north of Lisbon, and in southern Faro and Monchique.
The firefighters service said Monday the fire count across the country this month was four times the number last July, the fire service said on Monday.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
