A huge blaze that erupted over the weekend, razing thousands of hectares of forest in southern Portugal, is now under control though authorities said firefighters would remain on the ground as a precaution in case of flare ups.

Vitor Vaz Pinto, regional commander of the emergency and civil protection authority (ANEPC), said the wildfire in the municipality of Odemira, in the Alentejo region, was brought under control at 10.15 a.m. local time. 

The wildfire started on Saturday, but high temperatures and strong winds hampered efforts by more than 1,000 firefighters and water-dowsing planes to extinguish the flames, which destroyed some 84 square kilometers, according to preliminary data.

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The weather conditions helped the blaze spread south towards the Algarve, one of Portugal's top tourist destinations, and forced the evacuation of about 1,400 people, most of whom have returned home. For now, firefighters, water-dowsing planes and bulldozers being used to prevent the spread of the fire will remain on the ground and then gradually be demobilized, Vaz Pinto said. 

Vaz Pinto said firefighters would keep a close eye on the southern front of the wildfire, near Monchique, a lush green mountainous area in the Algarve's countryside, as there were still concerns it could reignite.

This summer, most southern European countries have been grappling with record-breaking temperatures during the peak tourist season, prompting authorities to issue health warnings. Like other countries in southern Europe, Portugal experienced high temperatures in recent days, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in various parts of the country. 

Around 100 Portuguese municipalities are at maximum risk of wildfires. Temperatures are expected to hit 44 degrees Celsius in Spain and Portugal as the two countries boil under their third heatwave of the summer. Experts say the recurring heatwaves, which have been getting longer and more intense, are a consequence of climate change.

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