PORTO - 25/03/2000 Fire skies encircle city Fire fighters around the city have been on red alert this week after the skies around the Oporto region were filled with clouds of smoke. Unseasonably hot summer-like days in the north have been marred this week by the billows of black smoke which have hung in the skies and carried ash and dust for miles around the northern region. Dozens of forest fires have destroyed hectares of plants, trees and vegetation and fire fighters around the region have reported having had barely a minute to relax before the next call out. Areas of countryside in almost every direction around the Oporto city limits have been struck by forest fires this week, the worst hit area being in São Pedro da Cova in Gondomar which involved 20 fire fighting units and more than 80 firemen. Fire brigade emergency call-out sirens could be heard throughout the whole of last weekend and although the rains mid-week cooled the situation, fire fighters feared that the promise of more hot weather would continue to keep them busy throughout the week. A fire service spokesman said the fire fighters were exhausted: "Since last Thursday we have not stopped. As soon as we arrived back at the station headquarters we were going straight out to another fire."