“At present, five fires remain active, which necessitate increased resources. We have the Piódão fire [approaching Covilhã] with 369 vehicles and 1,104 operatives, and the Poiares fire in Freixo de Espada à Cinta [Bragança] currently involving 115 vehicles and 342 operatives,” stated Commander Miguel Oliveira of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) to Lusa.
This morning, the fire in the village of Serra, Sabugal, in the Guarda district, continued to be fought by 222 operatives aided by 69 vehicles.
In Tarouca, Viseu district, the fire in Vilarinho remained active, engaging 207 operatives supported by 67 vehicles, alongside the Valverde da Gestosa fire in Mirandela (Bragança) with 119 operatives and 40 ground vehicles.
When asked if villages were at risk due to the fires, Miguel Oliveira stated he could not confirm this.
“The fire situation is very volatile, and such detailed information is easier to obtain at command posts,” he noted.
Regarding the health status of the Covilhã fire brigade member severely injured in a vehicle accident in the area that resulted in one fatality, Oliveira had no updates.
“One of the operatives was undergoing surgery [Sunday night], but I have no further information on that situation,” he said.
Since July, mainland Portugal has faced multiple rural fires, mainly in the North and Central regions, amid high temperatures prompting an alert status since August 2.
On Sunday, Minister of Internal Administration Maria Lúcia Amaral announced the extension of the alert due to an increased fire risk until midnight on Tuesday.
The alert status, initiated on August 2, had already been extended until midnight on Sunday and is now prolonged by an additional 48 hours.
The fires have resulted in two fatalities, including a firefighter, several injuries—mostly minor—and have partially or wholly destroyed primary and secondary homes as well as agricultural, livestock, and forest areas.
Portugal has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, with two Fire Boss planes expected to arrive Monday to aid firefighting efforts.
According to provisional official data, as of August 18, 185,753 hectares had burned nationwide, surpassing the total area burned in the entirety of 2024.
