Portuguese police arrest 14 suspected arsonists over wildfires

A cross on the road is silhouetted, as flames and smoke coming from a wildfire rise near Povoa de Montemuro, Portugal, September 18, 2024. REUTERS/Susana Vera

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese police have arrested 14 suspected arsonists this week, who may have set some of the dozens of deadly wildfires raging across the country, contributing to the fire risks stemming from climate change and rural depopulation.

The blazes have claimed at least seven lives and destroyed houses, factories and tens of thousands of hectares of forest.