4 Sep 2012

Help against fires sought by Portugal

10:06 am on 4 September 2012

Portugal is seeking help from the European Union against forest fires, in one of its worst summers for such blazes in years.

Some 1700 firefighters have been deployed in central and northern Portugal, which is heavily forested.

Portugal is asking for four aircraft after a helicopter being used in the operations crashed.

Tourist destinations of the Algarve and the island of Madeira were also hit earlier in the summer.