Portugal blaze: Firefighter’s funeral

Portugal is continuing to bury its dead from its worst forest fire in decades. Forty-year-old firefighter Goncalo Correia was laid to rest on Wednesday at a ceremony attended by the country’s president and prime minister. He died from his burns after trying to help some of those who died attempting to escape on route N-236. Correia is one of 64 people known to have lost their lives in a blaze which has ravaged central Portugal. His colleagues are still trying to put the fire out which at one time was estimated to have covered 153 kilometres. Latest reports say 95 percent of the blaze has been put out. But questions are now being asked over how it all began. The President of the League of Firefighters, Jaime Marta Soares suspects arson, contradicting an earlier account by police. Originally it was thought dry thunderstorms sparked the blaze after a tree was found having been hit by lightning. But Marta Soares claims the fire had already been burning for two hours before the storm started on Saturday and is calling for an investigation.