The president of the Loriga Parish Council, José Pinto, explained that there is still an active fire front, “which is not very large, but stubbornly refuses to be extinguished.”
José Pinto added that the location still has aerial resources “that are fetching water from Loriga’s river beach, firefighters, and military personnel.”
“Every day the fire seems like it will end, and the next day it reignites. It is on the hillside, in an area with rocks and difficult access. I no longer have faith in its end,” he sighed, ensuring that there is no risk to the population, which is far from the flames.
In the neighboring parish, Alvoco da Serra, also in the municipality of Seia, Guarda district, the situation “is calmer,” said the president of the Parish Council, Carlos Marques.
“Almost everything has already burned. Now we are in the surveillance phase to control reignitions, and we will start assessing the damages,” he added.
Carlos Marques stated that his parish “had four villages without water,” and only in one is the situation not yet resolved.
“Now we will assess all the needs and losses of the population. Pastures, animals were lost…” he specified.
The fire that hit the municipality of Fundão, starting on the 13th in Piódão, Arganil, Coimbra district, with no active fronts as of last Friday, reignited on Saturday, forcing the closure of motorway 23 (A23) and National Road 18.
A source from the GNR Territorial Command in Castelo Branco stated today that all routes are now open without restriction since early morning, with no road closures in the district.
Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple large rural fires since July, especially in the North and Center regions.
The fires have caused four deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, some serious, and destroyed homes, farm properties, and forestry areas.
Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which it has two Fire Boss planes, a Super Puma helicopter, and two Canadair planes.
According to provisional official data, up to August 23, about 250,000 hectares have burned in the country, over 57,000 of which in the fire that started in Arganil.
Carolina Pereira Soares | 10:33 – 24/08/2025
