The president of the Sabrosa City Council announced today that due to the wildfire, residents of the small villages of Delegada and Vale das Gatas will be evacuated as a precaution and taken to the multi-purpose pavilion.
“Two buses from the council are already on their way to pick up the people, who will spend the night at the multi-purpose pavilion,” explained Helena Lapa.
The mayor stated that these two small communities are “at risk” because the fire, although still distant, is burning from Souto Maior towards the villages, and also due to the smoke.
These locations are home to about 50 to 60 people, mainly elderly.
Vale das Gatas is home to an old mining complex and many wooden houses.
Helena Lapa noted that the unstable wind complicated firefighting efforts and that additional resources were dispatched in the early evening.
Approximately 370 personnel are mobilized to tackle the fire, supported by about 80 vehicles, including firefighters, the GNR, the Special Fire Force, the Red Cross, and INEM. Eight aerial units operated during the afternoon.
The fire, which began around 1:30 p.m. in the Feitais area, later moved to Souto Maior, burning scrubland and pine forests. By 8:00 p.m., it had seven active fronts in four different areas.
