The fire front moved overnight from Porto Castanheiro to the slopes near the villages of Teixeira and Relvas, close to the border with the municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra, where it remained controlled thanks to the efforts of firefighters, aided by aerial support and tracked machinery.
“It’s under control; hopefully, things will turn out well unless unexpected winds arise, but this is always a very precarious conclusion. It’s always a question mark, and I find it increasingly difficult to anticipate anything,” Luís Paulo Costa told the Lusa agency.
The mayor recalled that on Saturday around 3:00 PM, “it seemed that everything was resolved” concerning the fire fronts in his municipality (which extended to Oliveira do Hospital, Pampilhosa da Serra, Seia, and Covilhã) “and two hours later, things were out of control again”.
“Therefore, predictions only when this is truly resolved,” argued Luís Paulo Costa.
Meanwhile, tonight, the operational resources in Arganil were reinforced, totaling 1,116 operatives supported by 384 vehicles.
Continental Portugal has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, especially in the North and Center regions, against a backdrop of high temperatures that prompted the declaration of an alert state since August 2.
The fires have resulted in two deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, mostly non-serious, and have completely or partially destroyed primary and secondary residences, as well as agricultural, livestock, and forest areas.
Portugal activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, under which two Fire Boss planes are expected to arrive on Monday to bolster the firefighting efforts.
According to provisional official data, as of August 17, 172,000 hectares had burned in the country, exceeding the total area burned in the entire year of 2024.
