According to José Miranda, commander at the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, a total of 1148 personnel and 401 vehicles are engaged across three operation sites.
In Arouca, the fire is “under control” but still involves 413 personnel and 151 vehicles.
In Vila Verde, two of the three initial fire fronts are extinguished, with one active but promising a positive outlook for the night, and the expectation of controlling this fire sector.
The Ponte da Barca fire continues with “one active front burning intensely,” stated the Civil Protection official, noting that it is in an area difficult to access.
“At the moment, there are some infrastructures, like nearby warehouses, but no homes,” they assured. However, it remains the only fire that is “concerning.”
To tackle this large-scale fire that began last Sunday in Ponte da Barca and reached Terras do Bouro this week, 630 personnel and 34 vehicles are deployed, the commander added.
Confirming that the task executed by the group airlifted to inaccessible areas for this fire on Thursday was “very effective,” he noted the firefighting effort is “very challenging.”
The Civil Protection does not plan to reinforce resources in any of these fires tonight.
