After being ravaged by wildfires, locals reflect on the scorched remains of their community:: Albergaria-a-Velha, Portugal:::: Macieira, Portugal:: Maria Rodrigues, Macieira resident:: “It was horrific,

More than 5,000 personnel are battling a number of wildfires, the authorities said, and the prime minister called it an “extremely difficult weather situation.”

At least seven people have died after wildfires in the Aveiro and Viseu areas of Portugal, although cooler weather has helped tackle the flames. Dozens of homes have been destroyed and tens of thousands of hectares of forest and scrubland have been lost to the flames.