“There are still many hotspots, and some areas with active flames, and it’s normal for there to be some reactivations, which happened throughout the morning,” said José Guilherme, Deputy Regional Commander of the North, speaking to journalists at 1 p.m.
The fire that broke out at 11:45 p.m. on Saturday in Sirarelhos, Vila Real, and spread to the municipality of Mondim de Basto, entered a resolution phase at 7:45 a.m. today, which, according to the official, “means that the perimeter of the fire is stabilized.”
Despite the reactivations, José Guilherme noted that “the deployment of resources has been swift, and one or two aerial assets have been consistently maintained in this operational theater.”
Scattered across the area affected by the fire are 556 operatives and 170 vehicles, supported by two aerial resources.
The commander also mentioned that reinforcement has been requested through the Armed Forces and other entities for the subsequent phase of completion and surveillance.
“We requested whatever was available since the number of simultaneous incidents is high, and we must await the availability of the Armed Forces,” he stated, specifying that these military personnel will conduct surveillance and patrols.
In his opinion, this also “serves as a deterrent.”
“They end up being close to the populations and can assist if necessary,” he pointed out.
A provisional assessment by the mayors of Vila Real and Mondim de Basto estimates that about 3,000 hectares have burned in the two municipalities.
