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VILA DE REI/MACAO — Blazes in central Portugal reached houses on Sunday, forcing locals to take matters into their own hands as they tried to protect their homes from huge wildfires with buckets of water and hosepipes as strong winds fanned the flames.

One of the three wildfires which broke out on Saturday in Castelo Branco, a district 225 kilometers (139 miles) northeast of Lisbon, is still burning. Having spread to the nearby Santarem district, they threatened several villages in the Vila de Rei and Macao municipalities.

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Portugal’s Civil Protection said some houses were destroyed by the flames but did not give a specific number.

Around 870 firefighters are on the ground according to the National Authority for Civil Protection. However, a Reuters photographer in Vila de Rei said few firefighters were visible.

The wildfire was easing as the wind loses strength and temperatures drop during the night, a Civil Protection official told reporters in the early hours of Monday.