Portugal PM Vows to Implement Fire Prevention Reforms

Parched farmland, unmanaged forests and the planting of too many water thirsty crops are all being blamed for this year's devastating wildfires in Portugal.

After one of the worst weekends, at least 38 people are now known to have died.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa has refused to sack his interior minister saying now is the time for solutions not resignations.

"The results of the recent Independent Technical Commission has detailed what needs to be improved in our prevention system and in our system to combat forest fires. What should we do with these conclusions? We must apply them promptly and to the letter."

In Spain where at least four people have been reported dead in the northwestern Galicia region, some of the fires have been blamed on arsonists according to the head of the local government.

Across both countries firefighters have been stretched but with the coming rain they are also on alert for landslides.