A 48-year-old man has been detained by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) on suspicion of committing at least one forest fire, which occurred on July 30 in Moreira, Maia municipality.
In a statement released to newsrooms on Thursday, authorities explained that “the ignition was caused using a direct flame and some papers to enhance development, and it quickly spread, given the high fire hazard index in the area.”
The flames endangered “a significant forest area, as well as various industrial facilities located on the edge and within the said area,” and only had “less impact” due to the “early detection and swift firefighting” efforts by firefighters.
The arrest was made by the PJ’s North Directorate, in collaboration with the Maia Territorial Post of the National Republican Guard (GNR).
The suspect, a local resident, will also undergo a preliminary judicial interrogation for the application of appropriate preventive measures.
Mainland Portugal is under alert due to the high risk of fire. The measure has been effective from midnight Sunday and extends until 11:59 PM on Thursday, August 7.
“Given the worsening weather forecasts indicating a significant risk of rural fire, the government decided to declare an alert situation across the mainland,” announced the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, on Saturday.
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This year alone, forest fires have consumed nearly 42,000 hectares, eight times more than during the same period in 2024 and the highest figure since 2022, according to the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (SGIFR).
Statistics from SGIFR, managed by the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF), report that since January 1, there have been 5,211 fires, burning 41,644 hectares.
The SGIFR portal states that 72% of the burnt area and 53% of the fires this year occurred in the North region, where fires have been most intense in the past week in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, and Porto.
According to the portal, more than half of the area was burned from July 26 onwards.
Compared to the same period in 2024, the number of fires nearly doubled this year, and the burnt area is eight times larger. By August 5, 2024, 4,671 hectares had burned, whereas this year 41,644 hectares have burned.
However, the total burnt area in 2024 was 147,000 hectares, with 135,000 burning in just six days during the September fires.
