During the afternoon, there was an uncontrolled projection in the Teixeira area due to the wind, and the fire intensely moved towards Pedras Lavradas, Trigais, and São Jorge da Beira, already in the municipality of Covilhã, stated Seia’s Mayor Luciano Ribeiro.
The mayor of the mountainous municipality in the district of Guarda reported that the fire remains within the municipality but “is burning with much less force.”
“Everything is normal; now it’s just a matter of resuming all the work of mop-up and consolidation for the night and protecting those two villages. The forecasts indicate a drop in temperature and increased humidity, so we are committed to ensuring the maximum safety of the people,” he declared.
The fire affecting Seia ignited in the early hours of Wednesday in Piódão, in the municipality of Arganil, Coimbra district.
According to information available on the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) website, by 9:30 p.m., the fire that started in Arganil involved 1,082 operatives supported by 366 vehicles.
Portugal’s mainland has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, particularly in the North and Central regions, amid high temperatures that prompted the declaration of a state of alert since August 2.
The fires have caused two deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, mostly minor, while destroying completely or partially first and second homes, as well as agricultural and livestock establishments and forest areas.
Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which two Fire Boss planes should arrive on Monday to reinforce firefighting efforts.
According to provisional official data, by August 17, 172,000 hectares had burned in the country, more than the area burned in the entire year of 2024.
