A major forest fire in Portugal's Madeira Islands forced the evacuation of more than 400 people and left 174 others seeking medical treatment.
Horrifying pictures showed the wildfire blaze across hundreds of houses, leaving at least 27 homes were left uninhabitable on the island off Africa's northwest coast.
The fire encroaching on the capital Funchal is now believed to be under control and cooler temperatures forecast for Wednesday are expected to help put it out, the head of Madeira's regional government Miguel Albuquerque said.
Most of those needing treatment were said to have inhaled smoke and only one person was severely hurt, with burns.
A major forest fire in Portugal's Madeira Islands forced the evacuation of more than 400 people and left 174 others seeking medical treatment.
Horrifying pictures showed the wildfire blaze across hundreds of houses, leaving at least 27 homes were left uninhabitable on the island off Africa's northwest coast.
The fire encroaching on the capital Funchal is now believed to be under control and cooler temperatures forecast for Wednesday are expected to help put it out.
Locals took photographs of the huge clouds of smoke which rose above the Curral dos Romeiros in Funchal, Madeira.
The huge clouds of smoke almost completely covered the capital of the Portugal's Madeira island on Tuesday.
More than 400 people were forced to evacuate their homes and a firefighter was pictured attempting to extinguish the fire.
A man carried two gas cylinders as the huge wildfire blaze almost completely covered Curral dos Romeiros, Funchal in Madeira on Tuesday
Other wildfires have raged for several days on the Portuguese mainland. By Tuesday evening, fire officials said seven major blazes in the countryside were out of control.
The National Civil Protection service said just over 4,000 firefighters supported by 26 water-dumping planes and 1,262 vehicles were attending 149 blazes of varying sizes across the country.