More than 100 wildfires stretched thousands of firefighters to the limit in northern Portugal on Wednesday, September 18, since the worst spate of fires in recent years spread out of control. (Photo/A

Portugal asked for more fire-fighting planes on Monday as at least 15 blazes raged in central and northern regions, including one that burned houses on the outskirts of the town of Albergaria-a-Velha.

On the day that a wildfire threatened his village in Portugal, Alexandre Santos was left on his own to try to save his livestock warehouse from the flames. A firefighter "came to tell me that there were no trucks available to respond so I was left to my own devices,