THIS is the horrifying moment a fire tornado violently erupts in Portugal killing a mayor in its blaze.
It comes as hundreds of dangerous and deadly wildfires have plagued Europe in recent weeks with dozens of holiday hotspots left ravaged.
Reproduação Facebook/ Meteo Trás os Montes – PortugalThe fire tornado is seen ripping through a Portuguese town[/caption]
Reproduação Facebook/ Meteo Trás os Montes – PortugalThis rare phenomenon is created in intense heat[/caption]
Reproduação Facebook/ Meteo Trás os Montes – PortugalLocals ran to seek shelter from the spinning inferno[/caption]
Portugal’s northern region of Aguiar de Beira was left singed on Friday as a fire tornado cascaded through the area.
This rare phenomenon is formed in intense heat when the air surrounding a fire begins to rotate into a vortex.
Terrifying footage shows the blaze powerfully spinning, sending bursts of fire flying.
Black smoke is seen filling the air as the sky shines a fluorescent orange from the gargantuan flames.
The video also captures stretches of land singed by the fire as locals run frantically to take cover.
Almost 4,000 firefighters have been deployed across different areas in the country with the government extending its high risk alert until Sunday.
Meanwhile, Carlos Dâmaso, a former mayor of the town of Vila Franca do Deão, tragically died while helping to fight a blaze. His body was recovered on Friday.
Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy and Bulgaria are all still reeling from the deadly fires crashing along the Mediterranean.
Brits have been put on high alert over wildfires tearing through the popular holiday island of Tenerife in Spain.
Just a couple weeks ago, a fire sparked in the north and continued to spread towards busy resorts in Santiago del Teide.
Locals were ordered to evacuate the area and the island was put on red alert for the high risk of forest fires.
Initial reports indicated that the fire was located in the area known as Partidos de Franquis – a rural site near San José de Los Llanos in El Tanque.
A major operation was launched to control the fire, both by land and air, with police, firefighters, island government teams, the Civil Guard, helicopters and water-spraying planes all involved.
EPAA man tries to fight the fire during a forest fire in Portugal[/caption]
EPAPeople try to fight the forest fire in Vila da Ponte, Portugal[/caption]
EPALocals try to fight the forest fire in Vila da Ponte, Portugal[/caption]
Four Spanish planes joined more than 250 Portuguese firefighters battling a mountain blaze in Viana do Castelo district on the Portuguese-Spanish border.
DEADLY FIRES
The most deadly of the European fires have come from Turkey.
At least 17 people have been killed in the apocalyptic wildfires as record-breaking 50C heat and howling winds fuel devastation across the eastern Mediterranean.
The infernos have forced more than 3,500 residents to flee their homes, with vast swathes of forest reduced to ash.
Ten rescue volunteers and forestry workers lost their lives in a blaze in Eskisehir last week, while four more died outside Bursa over the weekend.
Two volunteer firefighters succumbed to injuries after being pulled from an overturned water tanker.
Another worker died at the scene and a firefighter suffered a fatal heart attack on Sunday.
Turkey’s forestry minister Ibrahim Yumakli confirmed that crews battled at least 44 separate fires on Sunday alone, declaring the western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik disaster areas.
Firefighters have battled more than 600 blazes in the past week, with over 1,900 emergency responders drafted in to help save trapped residents.
According to forecasts, the temperatures will remain fiery this week with 45C to 50C heat expected in southeast Turkey.
EPAPeople try to fight the fire during a forest fire in Macieira, Portugal[/caption]
EPAA forest fire in Vila da Ponte[/caption]
EPALocals trying to fight a fire in Portugal[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
