Villagers, firefighters battle huge blazes in central Portugal

Firefighters trying to put out the fire in Castelo Branco, a district 225 kilometers (139 miles) northeast of Lisbon.

Blazes in central Portugal reached houses on Sunday, forcing locals to take matters into their own hands as they tried to protect their homes from huge wildfires with buckets of water and hosepipes as strong winds fanned the flames.

One of the three wildfires which broke out on Saturday in Castelo Branco, a district 225 kilometers (139 miles) northeast of Lisbon, is still burning. Having spread to the nearby Santarem district, they threatened several villages in the Vila de Rei and Macao municipalities.