The commander of the Volunteer Firefighters of Graciosa Island, Carlos Melo, reported that the fire alert was issued at 06:45 local time.
“[The fire] is in the composting warehouses. It started in one and then spread to the other. Both are completely on fire. [The fire] is contained, but not controlled,” he stated.
In the early stages of combating the flames, the firefighters faced a “major difficulty” due to a lack of water, but the issue has since been resolved.
The flames destroyed two warehouses containing “highly flammable material,” including the roofing, according to the commander.
When asked about predictions for extinguishing the fire, Carlos Melo indicated that the efforts on site would require “several more hours” of work.
Thirteen personnel from the Volunteer Firefighters of Graciosa Island are present at the site, equipped with two heavy tankers, one medium tanker, and a medium rescue vehicle.
The restructuring works of the Graciosa Island Waste Processing Center were inaugurated by the Regional Government of the Azores in July 2024, during an official visit to the island.
Located at Lugar do Quitadouro in Santa Cruz da Graciosa, the complex has been leased to the company Equiambi since 2012.
