Contacting the news agency Lusa, Commander Paulo Santos of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) explained that, around 9:30 PM, the fire had “three active fronts.”
“One is progressing near the Castelo de Vide bypass, another is heading towards Póvoa and Meadas, and there was also a strong reactivation at the rear of the fire,” specifically in the area where the fire broke out, at Tapada do Loureiro in the municipality of Portalegre, he specified.
This last factor, the commander continued, “has caused the entire perimeter [of the incident] to become active, and the firefighters’ work has been to defend the homes wherever possible.”
The ANEPC source explained that within the perimeter of this occurrence, “there is always land with animals, and it is always necessary to address some more complicated situations with animals and safeguard others.”
Asked by Lusa whether there are houses or people at risk, Commander Paulo Santos clarified that “in such incidents, there are always infrastructures in the path of the fire.”
“And the firefighters’ work has been precisely to defend the homes and those places. The homes have been safeguarded,” he assured.
When pressed about injuries during the fire-fighting operations, the source mentioned that at 5:20 PM, “a forest sapper was transported to the Portalegre hospital with minor injuries,” but was unable to specify what the issue was at that time.
The alert for the fire was given to authorities at 2:01 PM, having broken out in a bush area at Tapada do Loureiro, in the parish of Ribeira de Nisa and Carreiras, in the municipality of Portalegre, according to the Sub-Regional Command for Emergency and Civil Protection of Alto Alentejo.
At 7:00 PM, in statements to Lusa, the Mayor of Castelo de Vide, António Pita, indicated that the fire had reached “close to the urban perimeter” of that village, but at that moment, “there were no houses in danger.”
“The fire came from Portalegre, crossed the São Paulo mountain and the National Road 521 (EN521), and headed towards the medium urban space of the village,” he reported.
The fire “did not actually enter Castelo de Vide,” but “remained here in the mountains, in a very sensitive area of the Serra de São Mamede Natural Park and near the urban space,” he highlighted.
The firefighters, assured the mayor, “have the resources positioned” and the fire “did not enter the village, it was controlled,” António Pita noted as well, explaining there was a more complicated situation with flames near a fuel supply station, but it was resolved.
A source from the Territorial Command of Portalegre of the GNR informed Lusa that, due to the fire, National Road 246 (EN246), between Castelo de Vide and Carreiras (in the municipality of Portalegre), EN 246-1, between Alpalhão (Nisa) and Castelo de Vide, Municipal Road 523 (EM523), between Carreiras and Castelo de Vide, and EM525, between Castelo de Vide and Póvoa and Meadas, are closed.
On-site, at 10:00 PM, according to the ANEPC website, consulted by Lusa, 260 personnel were combating this fire, supported by 82 vehicles.
