A 60-year-old woman died last week when she tried to leave her house in the village of Atalaia, Castelo Branco (central Portugal), and found herself engulfed by flames.
Later that evening, neighbours found her charred body in front of the house. Authorities assume that the woman died either from burns, smoke intoxication or a heart attack. People in the village had tried to fight the fire themselves when it became clear it was approaching their homes. The woman was the second fire victim in as many days, after a fireman lost his life the previous weekend in Ermida, Vila Real. Another two civilians and seven firemen have died fighting fires since the beginning of this year. Castelo Branco was one of the areas most affected by an inferno that spread between Venda da Pedra and Serra da Santa last week.
