More than 1,300 firefighters backed up by a dozen waterbombing planes battled three big wildfires in central and northern Portugal on Tuesday, with authorities putting most of the country on red alert for fires after weeks of hot weather.

Three fires were of great concern on Tuesday morning, with over 2,200 firefighters on the ground, 672 fire engines and 21 aerial resources deployed.

Kidman has applied for residency in Portugal, revealing that the Hollywood star will be spending more time in Europe.

Portuguese firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire in Caramulo, north Portugal, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013.

The Portuguese government plans to invest up to 400 million euros ($466 million) to improve grid management and boost battery storage following a massive blackout across Spain and Portugal in April.

Madeira, an island about a two-hour flight from the mainland, is another location that consistently rises to the top of expert lists of the best places to retire in Portugal. “Madeira is great for Americans," Jeremy Savory, founder of Millionaire Migrant, said, noting direct flights from the U.S. are under seven hours long.

PEOPLE can confirm that while Nicole Kidman applied for residency in Portugal recently, she and her husband Keith Urban are not expected to move their primary residence from Nashville to the western European country.

Why is everyone going to Portugal?” my friend Justin asked when I told him I was going there for a visit. People travel for many reasons, but visiting friends and relatives (VFR in industry-speak) is one of the largest and most resilient segments of the travel industry.