In statements, a government official acknowledged the understandable desire of local mayors to have all firefighting resources allocated to their municipalities, generally stating that such sentiments are humane and comprehensible.
However, “the scale, number, and locations of fires do not allow for resources, especially aerial means, to be everywhere at the same time,” he noted.
Paulo Simões Ribeiro, speaking on the sidelines of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Évora District Command of the Public Security Police (PSP), emphasized that the Secretary of State for Civil Protection is responsible for fire management but chose to address the topic nonetheless.
The firefighting efforts have “appropriately sized and sufficient aerial resources, and a significant effort has been made, but it’s not always possible to address every situation due to geographic challenges, wind, smoke, and other associated factors,” he stressed.
The Secretary of State reaffirmed that the current resources are “very robust and the largest ever” and expressed gratitude to firefighters and professionals from the Civil Protection and Security Forces for their work on the ground.
“People need to have confidence in those doing everything possible to mitigate and reduce the effects of these fires,” he emphasized.
The official also warned that the country must become accustomed to incidents of fire due to “high temperatures, climate change, as well as negligence and criminal activities.”
“The State is providing the possible, appropriate, and necessary response to protect our citizens, which is the primary reason for our activities,” he added.
Since Monday, numerous rural fires have been affecting mainland Portugal, particularly in the North, Center, and Alentejo regions. The flames have forced the evacuation of villages.
Among firefighters and civilians, several people received assistance, with no serious injuries reported. There is no indication of destroyed homes, but forest, agricultural, and livestock areas, as well as outbuildings and similar structures, have been burned.
In an update provided at around 7:30 AM, Pedro Araújo from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) indicated that the most significant fires in the morning were in Ponte da Barca (Viana do Castelo district) and in Penafiel (Porto), while the fires in Arouca (Aveiro) and Paredes (Porto) were under control or in recovery phases.
The fires in Penafiel and Ponte da Barca each had two active fronts, necessitating the protection of homes by firefighters.
According to ANEPC, by 12:40 PM, the fire in Ponte da Barca, ongoing since Saturday, involved 639 personnel supported by 216 land resources and three aerial resources.
At the same time, the Penafiel fire engaged 207 security and rescue personnel, 62 vehicles, and two aerial resources, and was already in a resolution phase.
