Active fire fronts are advancing towards Casal de Santa Teresinha, a village in the municipality of Covilhã, although no localities are currently at risk.
Luís Marques stated that the intensity of the flames has increased due to rising winds, which is a major concern in the coming hours.
The Commander of the Covilhã Firefighters in the Castelo Branco district noted that the terrain conditions have been another challenge.
“The terrain conditions are very poor. We have very steep slopes, making it a very difficult task, conducted with heavy machinery. Furthermore, these successive changes in wind direction have also hindered the deployment of resources and complete control of the fire,” emphasized Luís Marques.
The fire began at 3:02 PM on Sunday near Pereiro, an annex of the Aldeia do Xisto de Sobral de São Miguel, and has been burning forested areas.
According to the website of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, by 5:45 PM, 431 personnel, 145 vehicles, and seven aerial resources were mobilized to combat the flames.
