At 11:40 AM, Commander Marco Domingues of the Ave sub-regional command reported that the fire reached the municipality of Terras de Bouro this morning. Efforts are underway to combat the blaze and prevent it from reaching certain localities in Terras de Bouro, located within the Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG).
Manuel Tibo, the Mayor of Terras de Bouro, stated that the fire is moving towards Coutelo, Vergaço, and Cortinhas.
Commander Marco Domingues emphasized, “Resources are deployed around the perimeter at a critical moment,” hoping the fire “does not progress much further” into Terras de Bouro, despite forecasts of wind in the afternoon.
“We are on the ground trying to control the situation. There may be some unpleasant surprises during the afternoon due to the weather,” he warned.
The Mayor of Ponte da Barca has also requested additional aerial support to “save” the village of Germil in the PNPG, which is at risk of being “encircled” by the fire.
“The flames are 300 meters from the village. Without additional aerial support, the village will be surrounded by the flames,” Augusto Marinho told reporters.
The social-democratic mayor noted that the residents “have not yet been evacuated because firefighters are assessing all possibilities.”
According to the website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), at 12:00 PM, the fire that started on Saturday in the heart of the Peneda-Gerês National Park involved 382 operatives, 124 vehicles, and five aircraft.
The PNPG spans the districts of Braga (municipality of Terras de Bouro), Viana do Castelo (municipalities of Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez, and Ponte da Barca), and Vila Real (municipality of Montalegre), covering an area of approximately 70,290 hectares.
