“Telephoned the Secretary of State for Civil Protection at 08:00 to request that aerial resources be dispatched earlier. He assured me they were already on their way. By 09:00, none had arrived,” lamented the social-democratic mayor, Augusto Marinho.
During an interview with Lusa, numerous locals could be heard urging Augusto Marinho to address the lack of aerial resources combating the blaze, a situation complicated by “strong winds and difficult access.”
The mayor reported that the fire “spread from Parada, in Lindoso, where efforts are underway to protect homes, to the other side of the mountain, approaching Ermida and Lourido.”
“The situation is quite severe, specifically in the same area where, three years ago, we faced a very challenging situation that led to the evacuation of residents from two villages,” he emphasized.
As noted on the official page of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), by 09:10, two aerial resources, 229 personnel, and 79 vehicles were engaged in combating the flames.
