“We are making every effort. We have all resources on the ground. We all wish it were already possible to declare this fire under control at this time,” stated Elísio Oliveira in remarks to SIC.
The regional commander of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, responsible for the firefighting operations, emphasized that although the fire remains active and there are still “some critical points,” homes and population centers “are properly safeguarded.”
“We have some more critical points where we are deploying all our resources at the moment, and therefore, we will continue our work over the coming hours,” he stressed.
As of 8:30 p.m., the fire in Ponte da Barca was being fought by 616 personnel, supported by 204 vehicles and one aircraft, according to the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection’s website.
