LISBON (AFP) - Hundreds of firefighters backed by water-dropping aircraft were battling eight blazes that raced through tinder-dry forests in the centre and north of the country, which is facing its worst drought since 1945.

More than 250 firefighters and 73 vehicles were at the scene of the largest fire which raged near the central town of Figueiro dos Vinhos, the civil protection agency said Friday.

The fire had already destroyed up to 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land and was being fueled by the heat and propelled by strong winds, the mayor of the town, Fernando Manata, told Lisbon-based news radio TSF.

In total over 1,600 firefighters backed by 27 water-dropping aircraft and over 400 vehicles were involved in the firefighting operation in Portugal, according to the civil protection agency.

They were backed by 11 platoons of soldiers, who were monitoring fires deemed under control to prevent any flare-ups.

Prime Minister Jose Socrates said Thursday his government would present a plan after the summer to combat the causes of the wildfires which have charred 134,500 hectares (332,000 acres) of land so far this year.

"We can't resign ourselves and there are causes which can be minimized," he told a news conference.

Ten firefighters have died so far this year battling blazes in Portugal, including two who succumbed to their injures on Thursday after being hurt in a road accident last week while on their way to a wildfire.

Three elderly civilians have also died this summer as they tried to protect their rural properties from the heat-fueled flames.

The wildfires have totally or partially destroyed 112 houses, 17 factories and nearly 500 farm buildings, Interior Minister Antonio Costa said Thursday.

Forestry experts blame human negligence, the abandonment of rural areas and an emphasis on planting profitable but highly combustible tree species such as fast-growing eucalyptus and pine for the large number of wildfires in Portugal.