Portugal On Fire Alert Until Next Monday - 104F Temps On The Way - AFP

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Portuguese authorities put the country on high alert against wildfires on Wednesday as fire fighters tackled blazes and the nation braced for more scorching heat this week.

The national civil protection service said it was stepping up fire-prevention measures around forests and readying air and ground fire-fighting facilities for an "immediate and strengthened" response to emergencies. The service has put the country on a state of heightened alert until Monday.

On Wednesday afternoon, 150 fire fighters were sent to battle blazes in northern and central Portugal, while weather forecasters predicted temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the coming days.

Portugal's government has put exceptional measures in place this year in the face of the threat from wildfires, which have ravaged hundreds of thousands of hectares over recent summers. National forestry authorities have blamed fires for the destruction of at least 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of forest and scrub this year -- a lower rate than in previous years.

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http://www.terradaily.com/2006/060802200212.daf5s1nk.html