Due to a resurgence in the fire affecting the Fundão area, it is reported that the fire is active in the Alpedrinha and Castelo Novo regions. Residents in these areas are urged to stay in safe zones, adopt self-protection measures, and follow the instructions of the authorities on the ground, according to the message.
The GNR’s district command in Castelo Branco confirmed that the fire’s flare-up resulted in the closure of the A23 highway between the Fundão Sul and Castelo Novo junctions. The National Road 18 (EN18) has also been closed to traffic.
The fire in the Fundão area began on the 13th in Piódão, Arganil, in the Coimbra district.
Over more than a week, this large-scale fire affected other municipalities in the Coimbra district, as well as districts in Guarda and Castelo Branco.
Mainland Portugal has been hit by multiple large-scale rural fires since July, primarily in the North and Central regions.
The fires have resulted in four deaths, including a firefighter, and caused several injuries, some serious, while destroying homes, agricultural and livestock facilities, and forest areas.
Portugal has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, which provides two Fire Boss planes, a Super Puma helicopter, and two Canadair planes.
According to official provisional data, as of August 23, approximately 248,000 hectares have burned in the country, with over 57,000 hectares consumed by the fire that began in Arganil.
