After a night where the fire was contained, the flames intensified again in the afternoon, necessitating the reinstatement of confinement in Alvoco da Serra, Seia, according to Luciano Ribeiro.
“The village is not in danger, but the fire remains nearby,” he noted.
The mayor reported that the fire flared up in the afternoon on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela, reaching the highest parts of the Natural Park.
“At this stage, the fire took multiple paths, one towards Piornos and Unhais da Serra, and another along what is known as the vertical kilometer—a popular natural sports route from Alvoco to the Tower. By late afternoon, the fire was reaching the plateau of the Tower [the highest point in mainland Portugal],” explained the president of the Seia council.
In addition to Alvoco da Serra, Vasco Esteves de Baixo and Outeiro da Vinha continue to be a concern for the municipality, he added.
For the night, Luciano Ribeiro anticipates a repeat of the recent pattern, utilizing the increased humidity and cooler temperatures to contain the fire.
“Yesterday [Tuesday] there was also a lot of humidity, and during the night, the fire did not burn, but today it was very intense,” he noted.
The president emphasized that the plan for the night is to prevent the fire from spreading from the Alvoco valley to the Loriga glacial valley.
In response to the situation, the Seia council has decided to extend the Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Plan until Monday.
Simultaneously, the municipality has created a support line (238310242 and 917314993) for residents affected by the fire to report urgent needs.
The Seia council also has multidisciplinary teams on the ground for initial damage assessments, with particular focus on social emergency situations.
The fire affecting Seia, in the district of Guarda, originated in the municipality of Arganil, in the district of Coimbra, spreading to Pampilhosa da Serra in the same district, and to the municipalities of Castelo Branco, Fundão, and Covilhã (district of Castelo Branco).
According to a provisional report from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), this fire, which started a week ago, has already consumed over 40,000 hectares.
