The total sum in involved is around €12 million, he told journalists after a visit to one of four distribution centres set up to provide food for bees affected by the fires, in Batalha, in Leiria district.

The period for applications, which was to have closed on 15 December, was later extended to 22 December. In all, the government has said, €15 million was set aside for the purpose.

Compensation is to be in full for applications of up to €5,000, at a rate of 85% for sums above that, up to €50,000, and at 50% for sums up to €400,000.

Vieira said that up to Friday that government has ensured the payment of €40 million to farmers affected by the fires with losses of up to €5,000.

Farmers seeking up to €1,053 in compensation are to receive that in full this month, while others seeking compensation of up to €5,000 are to receive 75% now and the other 25% in January, after checks have been carried out, Vieira said.

According to the secretary of state, officials are already on the ground assessing damage and checking declared losses, in order to ensure "rigour and transparency" in the process.

Fires in Portugal this year burned 520,000 hectares of forest - the largest area of any year in Portugal's history and nearly 60 percent of the total area burnt in the entire European Union in 2017, data from the EU show.

The most deadly fires were in June, followed by those in mid-October, with more than 100 people killed over the year.