The fire that broke out early this morning in the parish of Piódão, in the Serra do Açor region, quickly reached the village of Feijoeira, forcing the family of Rita Lopes to make a swift decision. “We had no choice but to stay and defend the house and the animals,” said Rita Lopes, 20, who, alongside her mother and uncle, bravely confronted the flames.
Her father, a bread distributor, had already left the house and was unable to return due to being trapped by the fire.
A hose and buckets of water drawn from several barrels, which the family had filled for such emergencies, helped the three to prevent the flames from consuming their home.
“If we had left, everything would have burned, but this way, we managed to save the house and the animals — 15 goats, 10 rabbits, four Serra da Estrela dogs, two vehicles, and a quad bike,” emphasized Rita Lopes.
For several hours, the flames relentlessly raged, and despite the family’s courage, a few barns, a car, and a motorcycle were destroyed, she reported.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Argani (district of Coimbra) established two shelters to accommodate people evacuated from their homes, one in Coja and another in Cerdeira.
“We set up shelters in the community centers of Coja and Cerdeira and Moura da Serra, with capacity for about a hundred people, which can be increased if necessary,” stated councilwoman Elisabete Oliveira.
By nightfall, the multipurpose pavilion of the Casa do Povo in Coja was already housing 55 people from the villages of Porto Silvado and Sobral Gordo, in the parish of Pomares, mostly elderly and children.
According to Elisabete Oliveira, this shelter, managed in coordination with the Red Cross, can accommodate up to 80 people.
“Civil Protection is still unsure how the fire will evolve, so these people will stay overnight in Coja, and the situation will be reassessed on Thursday,” said the politician, noting that the mountain villages have more residents during this time of year due to popular festivities.
The provision of meals and water is ensured by the Social and Parish Center of Coja.
“I came here because I have mobility issues. My daughter and two grandchildren stayed in the village of Sobral Gordo, giving them peace of mind,” explained Manuel Lopes, 75, a resident of Almada who was vacationing in Sobral Gordo.
The Casa do Povo in Cerdeira and Moura da Serra is also prepared to accommodate 25 people evacuated from their villages, although as of 8:00 PM, it had not received anyone.
In this operation, the municipality involved six staff members and is working with the Red Cross and local private social solidarity institutions (IPSS).
