According to the website of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), as of 21:00, two fires, considered “significant occurrences,” were the most concerning.
The fire that broke out this afternoon in Vila Real has progressed to Sabrosa, with two active fronts burning intensely. The villages of Anta and Garganta are of major concern, said the Douro sub-regional commander to Lusa in the late afternoon.
In Arouca, the fire “is under control,” but still mobilizes 216 operatives and 81 vehicles.
Since Monday, numerous rural fires have affected mainland Portugal, particularly the Northern, Central, and Alentejo regions. The flames have necessitated the evacuation of villages.
Multiple people, both firefighters and civilians, received assistance, with no reports of serious injuries. There has also been no indication of destroyed homes, although forest, agricultural, and livestock areas, along with outbuildings and similar structures, have burned.
Mainland Portugal will be in a state of alert from Sunday until Thursday due to the high risk of fire in the coming days, announced the Minister of Internal Administration today.
“In light of worsening weather forecasts indicating a significant risk of rural fire, the government has decided to declare an alert status across the mainland territory,” announced Maria Lúcia Amaral in a national statement without taking questions.
The alert status comes into effect at 00:00 on Sunday and extends until 23:59 on Thursday, August 7.
The Deputy Secretary of State and for Internal Administration, Paulo Simões Ribeiro, stated on Friday that fire fighting resources are sufficient, though they cannot “be everywhere at once” with so many fires.
Much of the districts of Bragança, Guarda, and Castelo Branco, in the interior center, are at maximum risk of rural fire today, according to data from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
This forecast also extends to the south of the country, encompassing six municipalities in the district of Faro: Portimão, Silves, Monchique, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel, and Tavira.
According to the IPMA, the condition of maximum rural fire risk will persist in the coming days in the same regions.
