Early this morning, Leopoldo Rodrigues stated that the night was “much better” compared to the last.
“Fortunately, the night was better than the previous one. The temperature dropped, and there was an increase in humidity, which slowed the progression of the flames,” he noted.
The local official added that today allows for the use of aerial resources, with the main goal being to at least confine the fire.
“We will try using aerial resources—which were not available on Monday and Tuesday—to at least limit the fire.”
This fire entered Castelo Branco from the municipality of Fundão, originating in Arganil, in the district of Coimbra, where it ignited on Wednesday at 5:00 AM.
The fire has also spread to the municipalities of Pampilhosa da Serra and Oliveira do Hospital (Coimbra district), Seia (Guarda), and Covilhã (Castelo Branco).
The Castelo Branco city council activated the Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Plan late Sunday night.
Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple large-scale rural fires since July, particularly in the North and Center regions.
The fires have resulted in three deaths, including that of a firefighter, and several injuries, some serious, and have destroyed entirely or partially homes, agricultural and livestock operations, and forest areas.
Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which two Fire Boss aircraft arrived to assist in fighting the fires.
According to provisional official data, by August 20, over 222,000 hectares had burned across the country, surpassing the area burned in all of 2024.
