Wildfires Rage North of Lisbon

A wildfire broke out in the Sintra Mountains north of Lisbon, Portugal. Fueled by hot, dry weather and strong gusts of wind, the fire spread rapidly, with the burned area quickly exceeding 1,000 hectares. Large plumes of brownish-black smoke from the wildfire were carried by northwesterly winds toward downtown Lisbon, causing a sharp deterioration in air quality throughout the city. Monitoring data showed that PM2.5 concentrations in downtown Lisbon reached 268 micrograms per cubic meter at one point, while PM10 levels exceeded 300 micrograms per cubic meter, indicating “severe” air pollution.