October 30, 2017 @ 4:14 pm
Big Rick Hardly Strictly Wine Blog
Six thousand firefighters have spent the past week fighting more than 65 fires across Galicia in Spain and central Portugal. The unfolding tragedy had claimed 45 lives by Wednesday this week (18 October) – 41 in central Portugal and four in Galicia, according to the BBC.
Portugal’s interior minister resigned this week and the country has declared three days of mourning.
Winds from Hurricane Ophelia fanned the flames, worsening the situation; just as high winds also proved a major problem for thousands of fire crews battling blazes in California wine country last week.
Several winemakers in Galicia and Dão found themselves on the frontline, like their counterparts in Napa and Sonoma.