Portugal Endures Its Worst Fire Year Since 2017 as a Rural Movement Decries Political 'Abandonment'
Some 30,155 hectares have burned across Portugal by early July — the worst since 2017 and up about 70% on 2025 — with the fiercest blaze near Vouzela. A citizens' movement blames political neglect of the rural interior, while experts point to farmland abandonment and unmanaged fuel.