“I still do not have an idea of the affected area, but I know there is a small hostel, a tourist climbing spot, a staircase, and a viewpoint that were burned. My understanding is that in terms of material goods, that was what was lost,” stated Carlos Carvalho, the mayor of Tabuaço in the Viseu district.
The mayor added that the municipal road (EM) 323, which connects Tabuaço to Távora, and where an active fire front was present two days ago, is closed to traffic for safety reasons.
“It is an area with a steep slope, and rocks continue to fall from above, along with branches and small tree trunks. Therefore, this road will remain closed to traffic until civil protection guarantees safe circulation,” he explained.
In this context, Carlos Carvalho called for “some patience and a spirit of sacrifice,” particularly from the residents who, due to this closure, “are forced to take a detour, resulting in a journey of around fifteen kilometers instead of three.”
Carvalho also noted “isolated instances” where people are without internet at home or experiencing poor mobile network quality, but there are professionals on the ground working to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
Regarding water and electricity, the mayor assured there are no reported issues, and “fortunately, no injuries were recorded,” except for a few cases of exhaustion.
The fire in the municipality of Tabuaço was declared under control at 6:00 AM today, according to a source from the Douro Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command.
By 1:40 PM, the fire engaged 216 personnel and 74 vehicles, according to the official website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).
The fire alert was raised at 10:27 PM on Sunday in the parish of Távora e Pinheiro, in the municipality of Tabuaço, Viseu district.
