At 9:40 PM, the Beja Territorial Command of the GNR indicated that the section of the National Road 2 (EN2) between Aljustrel and Castro Verde remained closed to traffic in both directions.
The same source reported no further road closures due to the fire that raged in the Aljustrel municipality throughout the afternoon and evening, with the alert issued at 1:09 PM.
The fire broke out in a forest area at Monte do Cerro, near Messejana in the municipality of Aljustrel, mobilizing six aerial units.
In a press conference held earlier in the evening, concluding at 8:10 PM, with two active fronts of the fire, civil protection and the municipal council revealed that approximately 1,000 hectares had been consumed by the flames.
Mayor Carlos Teles explained that the fire erupted in the parish of Messejana, reaching significant dimensions but remaining confined to the municipality.
The incident led to the closure of the EN2 road section between Aljustrel and Castro Verde and the Municipal Road 394 (EM394) between Carregueiro and Entradas, in the Castro Verde municipality.
In the press conference, Carlos Pica, sub-regional commander of Baixo Alentejo for the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), estimated that the fire might be brought under control by nightfall or early morning.
The fire prompted the evacuation of people from three residences in two estates near Carregueiro and caused material damage to an agricultural support shed, according to authorities.
Seven firefighters were treated for exhaustion and smoke inhalation, with two hospitalized in Beja and another taken to the Basic Emergency Service in Castro Verde.
As of 9:50 PM, ANEPC noted that the fire engaged 250 operatives, supported by 88 vehicles.
In addition to firefighters from regional brigades, various entities, including the Red Cross, National Institute for Medical Emergency (INEM), civil protection services of Aljustrel and Castro Verde, parish councils, GNR, Afocelca, Ourique forest rangers, and a special civil protection force, aided in fighting the blaze.
