“The fire that broke out in the Montesinho Natural Park is under control,” said João Noel Afonso, commander of Emergency and Civil Protection for the Trás-os-Montes sub-regional command.
According to the official, personnel will remain on the ground for mop-up operations and to monitor the fire.
This fire had two active fronts that burned with “considerable intensity throughout the afternoon.”
The alert was raised at 12:07 PM for a fire in a brush area near the village of Aveleda, which is part of the park.
In battling the blaze, which ignited at 12:07 PM, more than 200 firefighters, nine aerial units, and tracked machines were initially deployed.
As of 8:06 PM, according to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority’s website, 198 firefighters, supported by four aerial units and 65 vehicles, were working at the scene.
