A Portuguese former firefighter has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for having started forest fires in central Portugal last year, a regional court announced Tuesday.

He was found guilty of arson for igniting nine fires between July and September 2016 in the Castelo Branco region with its forests of eucalyptus trees, which are particularly flammable.

The biggest blaze in the town of Proenca-a-Nova burned 950 hectares (nearly 2,350 acres) of forest causing "a considerable risk to people and properties," the judges said.

Sizzling temperatures and high winds have repeatedly stoked forest fires in Portugal during the summer months.

In June this year a fire in central Pedrogao Grande that raged for five days left 64 people dead, most of the victims killed in their cars as they tried to escape the flames.

In July a 24-year-old man got 14 years in jail for starting a fire that left three people dead on the Portuguese island of Madeira in August 2016.

Since the beginning of 2017, authorities say there have been 137 suspected arson fires in Portugal, more than double the total last year.

Tweet

Satellite images show wildfire smoke spreading across United States
Washington (UPI) Sep 5, 2017
As showcased by new data and images collected by NASA satellites, wildfire smoke has spread out across much of the United States. More than 80 large wildfires are burning in nine Western states. As a result, many residents of the Western United States are dealing with poor air quality. Wildfire smoke can carry a number of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, including methanol, benzen ... read more

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only