“We are boosting nighttime resources to support firefighting operations,” stated Bruno Borges, Deputy Operations Officer of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).
By around 7 PM, the fire had three active fronts, involving 296 personnel, supported by 96 vehicles and eight aircraft.
One of the active fronts, near the town of Alandroal, “is yielding to the ground forces,” Borges revealed, noting that another front in the area of Juromenha will receive reinforcements “as the fire is somewhat continuous.”
Borges highlighted that ANEPC is already assessing the damage caused by the fire.
João Grilo, Mayor of Alandroal, stated that “one of the biggest problems” of this fire is now in the area between the villages of Terena and Hortinhas.
“In Terena, the firefighters managed to hold the fire behind one of the streets,” he emphasized.
The mayor pointed out that brush has burned, and the fire came close to isolated hills.
“We don’t have burned houses, just a few outbuildings. And so far, nothing serious has happened to people,” he noted, acknowledging that “a lot of area has burned” and fighting the flames continues to be “very complex due to the wind.”
During the afternoon, the mayor reported that a factory near Alandroal had to be evacuated, but firefighters managed to prevent the fire from reaching the factory area.
The alert for the fire, which primarily burns in brush land, was raised at 9:22 AM.
A GNR source revealed that the truck driver suspected of starting the fire was identified and made a defendant by the authorities.
The Évora Territorial Command source indicated that the man, who was driving a freight truck carrying wood, was charged with forest fire arson, and the case was reported to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the same source, a metal piece from one of the trailer’s straps, used to secure the transported wood, came loose and struck the ground, causing sparks that ignited several fire spots in the municipality.
This morning, the mayor of Alandroal had disclosed that the fire was believed to have started from a truck tire that caught fire, igniting spots along National Road 255 (EN255), which connects Alandroal to Reguengos de Monsaraz.
Due to the fire, road traffic was blocked on sections of the EN255 between Alandroal and the town of Terena and on National Road 373 (EN373) between the municipality’s seat and Juromenha, among other municipal roads.
