The deputy regional commander of Alto Tâmega and Barroso, Bruno Sarmento, stated the fire is currently affecting the bush area, confirming the villages of Favais and Lamas are “out of danger.”
During the afternoon, the fire approached the village of Lamas.
According to Sarmento, the village of Alvadia is not currently at risk; however, additional resources are being deployed there as a precaution.
GNR officers were present at the first houses in this village, advising residents to remain on alert, although there is no current instruction for evacuation.
The upcoming hours are anticipated to involve “a lot of work,” according to Bruno Sarmento.
“I am optimistic, but it is a lot of work,” he remarked.
As of 19:30, the fire had 233 personnel engaged, 80 operational units, and eight aerial units, according to Bruno Sarmento.
The fire alert was issued at 07:30 near the Olo River, in the Alvadia parish, within the Alvão mountain range, where challenging weather with high heat and strong winds was observed this afternoon.
The Alvão mountain range spans the municipalities of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Ribeira de Pena, Vila Real, and Mondim de Basto. A separate fire previously affected the last two municipalities, entering resolution on Wednesday morning after burning approximately 3,000 hectares.
On Thursday, another fire consumed about 500 hectares of the Alvão mountain range near the village of Pinduradouro in the Vila Pouca de Aguiar municipality, close to Alvadia in Ribeira de Pena.
The Vila Real district is under a red alert due to heat from 09:00 on Saturday until midnight on Monday, according to the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
The government extended the alert status on Thursday until Wednesday, August 13, due to the risk of forest fires.
