“During the night there was a significant reinforcement of personnel and vehicles, notably tracked machines, which were engaged in containment efforts to combat the fire and facilitate the work of aerial means this morning,” stated António José Machado, Mayor of Almeida, at approximately 10:30 AM.
In this border town in the district of Guarda, one front remains active, advancing slowly towards the National Highway (EN) 340 in the Aldeia Nova area.
“It is on the left bank of the Côa River, and the concern of the operators is that it does not cross to the right bank. The fire is active in very steep areas and is burning very slowly. The Alpha [medium airplanes] are proving extremely helpful,” he added.
A second front is burning in Cinco Vilas, in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, where this fire initially started last Wednesday. Several aerial resources are also engaged in this area.
The Mayor of Almeida also mentioned some hotspots within the fire perimeter that are under operational surveillance.
“They are positioned at various points to act immediately as soon as there are flare-ups and to stop the fire at the start,” António José Machado said.
The official further added that, for now, there is no wind, and more resources are expected to arrive in the municipality today to “resolve this occurrence.”
This fire began at 2:58 PM in the locality of Cinco Vilas, in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, last Wednesday, and moved along the banks of the Côa River towards the municipalities of Almeida and Pinhel.
As of 10:44 AM today, 225 personnel, 71 vehicles, and six aerial resources were involved in the operation, according to the website of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC).
A firefighter from the Pinhel brigade was seriously injured when the tanker he was driving was engulfed by flames in Valverde, in the municipality of Almeida.
The 45-year-old volunteer suffered severe burns and was airlifted by a National Institute of Medical Emergency helicopter to Coimbra Hospitals.
Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple large-scale rural fires since July, mainly in the North and Central regions.
The fires have caused three fatalities, including a firefighter, and several injuries, some severe, and have wholly or partially destroyed primary and secondary homes, as well as agricultural and livestock operations and forest areas.
Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which it has access to two Fire Boss planes and a Super Puma helicopter, with an additional two Canadair planes expected to arrive later today.
According to provisional official data, up to August 21, 234,000 hectares had burned in the country, more than 53,000 of which in the fire that began in Arganil.
