The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, emphasized on the island of Pico, Azores, that the current priority is to “prevent what may happen in the coming weeks” and avoid using “extreme measures” as if the situation had already reached the severity witnessed in other countries.
Rebelo de Sousa’s comments followed a request by the president of the Ponte da Barca municipal council to the Government on Wednesday to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism or other bilateral agreements with countries to tackle the fire in the Peneda-Gerês National Park.
“It seems wise not to start making disproportionate appeals relative to the time and circumstances we live in, trivializing this request and making it more challenging to access in case of a more severe emergency,” he remarked.
The President explained that his recent visit to Civil Protection, held without media presence, led to his impression regarding the activation of the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
Regarding the fire in Ponte da Barca, Rebelo de Sousa noted that the municipality is already receiving support from Spanish resources, citing an existing agreement that allows for automatic intervention within 25 kilometers of the border on both sides.
Without commenting on the President’s remarks, Augusto Marinho, the social-democrat mayor of Ponte da Barca, revealed: “We are evacuating a village and may likely need to do the same for another village.”
In Sobredo, Vila Chã de São Jorge parish, around 9:32 PM, about twenty residents were being evacuated, according to Marinho.
“In Paradela, in the parish of Entre Ambos-os-Rios, we are still assessing the potential evacuation of approximately 40 to 50 residents,” he added.
Marinho expressed significant concern about the situation in Ponte da Barca, stating, “The fire is very bad. It can be somewhat controlled, and then suddenly intensifies. I am very worried about what might happen tonight with the high temperatures.”
The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) reported that as of 9:46 PM, the firefighting efforts involved 631 operatives supported by 211 vehicles.
