A spokesperson for the Alto Minho Sub-regional Command of ANEPC stated that “the fire is still active” and noted that efforts to combat the flames have been hampered by “difficult access” to the area.
The same source emphasized, however, that the fire near the locality of Parada, in the parish of Lindoso, is only “burning in scrubland,” without threatening any settlements.
According to the ANEPC website, the alert was issued around 9:47 PM on Saturday.
The spokesperson for the Alto Minho Sub-regional Command said that the fire is being fought by firefighters from Ponte da Barca, Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima, and Vila Praia de Âncora.
The operations on the ground also have the support of firefighters from Beato and Penha de França, coming from Lisbon, forest sappers, and the GNR, added the same source.
Over 60 municipalities in the districts of Bragança, Viseu, Guarda, Porto, Coimbra, Leiria, Santarém, Castelo Branco, and Portalegre are today at maximum fire risk, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
Various municipalities in the north and center and the Algarve are also at very high risk of rural fire, and almost all other regions of the continent are at high risk.
The rural fire risk will remain at these levels at least until the end of next week.
This risk, determined by the IPMA, has five levels, ranging from reduced to maximum. Calculations are based on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation levels for the past 24 hours.
Due to the hot weather, the IPMA extended the yellow warning until midnight on Tuesday due to the hot weather in 14 districts of mainland Portugal.
The yellow warning issued for the weekend for all districts in the country was extended until midnight on Tuesday in Beja, Braga, Bragança, Castelo Branco, Évora, Faro, Guarda, Portalegre, Porto, Santarém, Setúbal, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, and Viseu.
The yellow warning is issued when there is a risk situation for certain activities dependent on the meteorological situation.
