“We are keeping the fire active. With the rotation of the wind, we have some hotspots that could lead to complicated flare-ups. We will continue our work to see if we can contain the fire today,” said the regional commander of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, who is directing operations in Ponte da Barca.
During an update to journalists around 1:20 PM, Elísio Oliveira added that “resources are deployed on the ground,” both by land and air.
“The protection of the populations is guaranteed,” he stated, noting, however, that there are fire areas where only aerial means can operate.
“We have a combination of helicopters and planes. We maintain teams on foot from both the GNR, firefighters, and forest rangers. I still want to give good news, but I will not give false news. We are all giving our best to ensure this population can find peace as soon as possible,” he concluded.
The fire in question broke out a week ago and has already consumed over six thousand hectares of the Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG).
According to the National Authority for Civil Protection and Emergency (ANEPC) website, at 1:50 PM, 582 operatives were mobilized for this fire, supported by 195 vehicles and three aerial assets.
Portugal’s mainland will enter an alert status from Sunday until Thursday due to the high risk of fires in the coming days, announced the Minister of Internal Administration today.
“In light of worsening weather forecasts indicating a significant risk of rural fires, the Government has decided to declare an alert status across the entire mainland territory,” announced Maria Lúcia Amaral in a statement to the nation, without taking questions.
The alert status will come into effect at 12:00 AM on Sunday and will last until 11:59 PM on Thursday, August 7.
