Traffic on both directions of kilometer 613 of the IC1 has been halted since 5:00 p.m. due to a fire outbreak at 4:40 p.m. in the Vale da Eira area, Ermidas-Sado. A source from the Setúbal District Command of the GNR confirmed the situation.
“An alternative route is still the A2 motorway, but there are other regional roads available,” the source mentioned around 6:20 p.m.
Alentejo Litoral’s sub-regional commander for Emergency and Civil Protection, Tiago Bugio, stated that the fire started at 4:40 p.m. “in the Vale da Eira area, between Ermidas-Sado and the neighboring municipality of Grândola.”
“The fire is burning an area of eucalyptus, pine forest, and scrubland,” he disclosed.
According to the commander, the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) had forecast dry thunderstorms in the area, and several people identified hearing multiple thunderclaps before the fire started.
As of 5:55 p.m., 172 operatives, supported by 51 vehicles and six aircraft, were engaged in firefighting efforts.
