The municipality of Castelo Branco announced on Facebook that a decision was made following a meeting of the Municipal Civil Protection Commission late Monday night.
“The flames have spread to the municipality of Castelo Branco, in the parish of São Vicente da Beira, with the situation being closely monitored by the competent authorities and with the mobilization of resources.”
The local government reported that on-site teams include Civil Protection, Firefighters, GNR, and other operational entities.
“With the activation of the Municipal Emergency Plan for Civil Protection, we aim to ensure the collaboration of various involved entities, mobilizing resources more quickly and achieving greater efficiency in executing predefined procedures.”
The municipality also urged all people to adopt self-protection behaviors, remain confined to their villages, and choose a safe area to stay.
Continental Portugal has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, particularly in the North and Center regions, amid high temperatures that prompted the declaration of an alert status since August 2.
The fires have resulted in two deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, mostly minor. They have destroyed or partially damaged primary and secondary homes, as well as agricultural and livestock operations and forest areas.
According to provisional official data, by August 17, 172,000 hectares had burned in the country, surpassing the total area burned in all of 2024.
