Two Portuguese firefighters have died in hospital, bringing the death toll in this year's wildfires to 14, news reports said Friday. A colleague of the two had died earlier after their car had an accident Saturday en route to a fire near Oliveira de Azemeis in the north. The death toll of 14 includes 11 firefighters, reported the dpa. Several wildfires were still reported out of control in northern and central Portugal. Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced that the government would adopt a prevention plan against the country's "annual tragedy" after the summer holidays. The government says wildfires have consumed 130,000 hectares of vegetation this year, but firefighters' representatives have estimated the destroyed area at 200,000 hectares. Internal Administration Minister Antonio Costa said wildfires had destroyed 77 houses and affected 489 farms in 2004. In neighbouring Spain, several wildfires were reported near Zamora. Another fire ravaged 25 hectares of forest in the Pena Cabarga nature reserve in the northern region of Cantabria. --SP 1409 Local Time 1109 GMT
