Volunteers Help Battle Deadly Portuguese Wildfires

At least 39 people were reported to have died by October 17 as dozens of fires continued to burn across Portugal. Officials have blamed extreme drought and abnormally high temperatures for the time of year.

The situation was exacerbated by high winds from the tail-end of Hurricane Ophelia, which brushed the Iberian peninsula on October 16.

This footage was posted to Reddit by Nelson Fernandes, who said that he and his family saved a few houses while volunteering to fight fires around Coimbra in central Portugal. Credit: Reddit/Nelson Fernandes via Storyful