At least three people have been killed by a wildfire that blazed through a Portuguese island, local government officials reported.
The wildfire was first declared in the Atlantic island Madeira on Monday and had since blazed through its capital city Funchal, leaving three people dead, two seriously injured, one missing, and thousands forced to evacuate.
The high temperatures and wind made the flames spread quickly to the old city centre, where emergency services and volunteers continued to fight the fire.
The city's airport, one of the most visited in Portugal, was forced to cancel several flights and many island roads were closed.
The Portuguese Authority of Civil Protection said there are still 12 active fires on continental Portugal, all in the north of the country.
Authorities said a cocktail of high temperatures of over 35C and possible arsonists roaming wooded areas had placed Portugal on the verge of matching the chaos experienced in 2003, 2005, 2010 and 2013 when it led Europe in surface area carbonised.
