At 09:34, the mayor of Pampilhosa da Serra reported that the situation in the municipality is worsening, primarily due to adverse weather conditions.
“The fire didn’t give us any respite all night. It has a very large extent. We are now preparing to evacuate the village of Covanca,” stated Jorge Custódio.
The mayor mentioned that Covanca is currently inhabited by about 300 people.
This village is located in the northeastern tip of the Pampilhosa da Serra municipality, bordering the municipalities of Pampilhosa da Serra, Arganil, and Covilhã, thereby spanning two districts, Coimbra and Castelo Branco.
“Residents will be moved to the Unhais-o-Velho firefighters’ station,” informed Jorge Custódio.
The forest fire, which has been raging since the morning in Pampilhosa da Serra, originated from the neighboring municipality of Arganil, where it broke out in Piódão parish at around 05:00 on Wednesday, allegedly caused by a lightning strike from a dry thunderstorm in the area.
It then spread to the municipalities of Oliveira do Hospital and Seia, the latter in the district of Guarda.
According to the website of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, by 09:35, the Arganil fire was being fought by 897 personnel, supported by 304 vehicles and nine aerial units.
Portugal has been on alert due to the fire risk since August 2, and in recent weeks, several fires in the north and center of the country have consumed more than half of the approximately 75,000 hectares of burnt area this year.
The alert status was extended until Sunday, announced on Thursday by the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, at the end of a visit to ANEPC.
“Considering that 22 consecutive days of intense heat show no signs of abating, the Government will once again extend the alert status until Sunday,” announced the minister to the press.
Maria Lúcia Amaral emphasized that all restrictions and prohibitions imposed by the heightened risk of fire alert remain in place.
