The fire “started in Arouca and by the end of the afternoon yesterday [Monday] entered the municipality of Castelo de Paiva, and is burning with great intensity,” said José Rocha, the mayor of Castelo de Paiva.
By 10:30 a.m., he reported that the flames were advancing towards villages, posing a risk to some houses, particularly in the area of Gilde, where he was present.
“I have a location that is isolated. The firefighters do not have access to the area of Seixo. At the moment, I am in Gilde where the fire could also reach in a few moments. We are here with the population to try to minimize and safeguard property and people,” said the mayor.
José Rocha noted that some villages, namely Vilar de Eirigo and Seixo, have already been evacuated, adding that, for now, he has no knowledge of any houses affected or victims, although a factory was partially burned.
“There was an industrial unit that burned partially. The storage area for varnishes and the painting house burned. For now, this is what we have recorded in terms of material losses, but with the intensity of the fire, we hope it ends here,” he stated.
The mayor also mentioned that aerial resources could not operate early in the morning due to smoke intensity.
“Early in the morning, due to the intensity of the smoke, there wasn’t enough visibility for them to work, but at the moment there are already aerial resources in the municipality,” he noted.
Following the situation in Arouca, the Castelo de Paiva council also activated the Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Plan today at 3:00 a.m.
“This decision was made due to the evolution of the situation, which poses a risk to people, property, and the environment, aiming to ensure the coordination of all rescue and support means for the affected populations,” reads a note on the municipality’s Facebook page.
By 10:30 a.m., the website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority indicated that the fire raging in Canelas/Espiunca, Arouca, mobilized 697 operatives, 193 vehicles, and seven aerial resources.
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