“We have experienced some flare-ups, but we are currently threatened by the Sernancelhe fire, which approached us from the Lapa area and spread throughout our territory. After two very challenging days, today there is some reprieve,” stated the Mayor of Moimenta da Beira.
Paulo Figueiredo mentioned that presently, “there is a front in the Escurquela area, Sernancelhe, and it could move towards Moimenta da Beira, in the Cabaços and Vilar area.”
“We currently face this threat,” he reiterated at 10:45 a.m.
Following two “very complicated, restless days,” Paulo Figueiredo noted that “there were numerous power outages that were restored by on-site professionals, and communications were only re-established about 20 or 30 minutes ago.”
In the past 48 hours, he reported, “several villages were threatened by flames, coming very close to homes, which only escaped burning due to the excellent intervention by firefighters.”
Among these, he highlighted Granja do Paiva, Semitela, Carapito, Caria, Mileu, and Vila Cova.
Describing the damage left by the fire, Paulo Figueiredo reported that “fortunately, no houses or structures were burned, but the significant loss is in green areas and the agricultural sector.”
“I still cannot quantify the extent, I don’t have that assessment conducted. The flames are still present, but it’s extensive. Previously, a much smaller fire burned 2075 hectares.”
Paulo Figueiredo referred to a fire that started at 2:31 p.m. on August 8th in Alvite, concluding by 6:00 p.m. on August 12th.
“But this one was much more violent, incomparable to the previous,” indicated Paulo Figueiredo.
This fire, originating from two separate fires in Sátão (Viseu district) and Trancoso (Guarda district) at the start of Friday, merged and spread across 11 municipalities in these two districts.
These areas include Sátão, Sernancelhe, Moimenta da Beira, Penedono, and São João da Pesqueira (Viseu district); Aguiar da Beira, Trancoso, Fornos de Algodres, Meda, Celorico da Beira, and Vila Nova de Foz Coa (Guarda district).
The Vila Boa fire in the parish of Ferreira de Aves, Sátão, Viseu district, was alerted at 1:03 a.m. on Wednesday, the 13th, and on the same day reached the municipalities of Sernancelhe in Viseu district and Aguiar da Beira in Guarda district.
At 11:15 a.m., 905 personnel, supported by 299 vehicles and two aerial resources, were combating this fire, according to the official webpage of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC).
The alert for the Freches fire in the Municipality of Trancoso, Guarda district, occurred on Saturday, the 9th, at 5:21 p.m.
At 11:15 a.m., 455 personnel, supported by 150 vehicles, were combating this fire, according to the official webpage of ANEPC.
