Wildfire rages near Lisbon, hundreds evacuated

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More than 700 firefighters backed by six aircraft battled a large wildfire in the hills around the resort areas of Cascais and Sintra near Portugal’s capital Lisbon after the blaze forced the evacuation of several hundred people overnight. Officials said 18 people, mostly firefighters, had been lightly injured in the blaze that broke out late on Saturday, fanned by strong winds amid unusually hot weather for October. “There are still two active fronts that worry us,” a civil protection spokesman told a briefing, explaining that the arrival of water-bombing aircraft and more favourable weather had helped to control the flames after a difficult night.