Portugal Turns to Elite Firefighters to Avoid Repeat of Forest Fire Tragedy

Portugal Turns to Elite Firefighters to Avoid Repeat of Forest Fire Tragedy
Firefighters battle a forest wildfire next to Vilarinho village, near Lousa on October 16, 2017 in Coimbra region, Portugal. Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
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POMBAL, Portugal—Forest fires in Portugal killed 114 people last year. Before any blaze starts this year, elite firefighters are getting ready to strike back.

The government has doubled the National Republican Guard’s first strike firefighting units to 1,064 soldiers as part of a plan to shift the task to professionals from volunteers.