A fire that erupted on Monday in the municipality of Arouca, district of Aveiro, and has since spread to Castelo de Paiva, is being tackled by 725 personnel, 257 vehicles, and two aircraft, as indicated by the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection’s website.
This blaze represents the largest ongoing rural fire classified as a “significant occurrence” due to its duration or the number of resources involved, according to Civil Protection.
Another fire that began on Saturday in the municipality of Ponte da Barca, district of Viana do Castelo, within the Peneda-Gerês National Park, and expanded this morning to the neighboring municipality of Terras de Bouro, district of Braga, is being countered by 406 personnel, 132 vehicles, and nine aircraft.
The social-democrat mayor’s request comes after multiple appeals to the Government for more aerial support to combat the fire that started on Saturday in the Peneda-Gerês National Park.
A fire that broke out on Tuesday in the municipality of Penafiel, district of Porto, involves 178 personnel, supported by 48 vehicles and two aircraft.
The fire in Ponte de Lima, district of Viana do Castelo, commenced late Monday night and is currently being addressed by 163 personnel with 54 vehicles, though no aircraft are involved.
In the municipality of Cinfães, district of Viseu, a fire that ignited at 06:10 on Tuesday is being fought by 55 personnel, supported by 16 vehicles and lacking aerial means.
A fire began at 09:50 today in Paredes, district of Porto, engaging 194 personnel, 55 vehicles, and four aircraft.
The Civil Protection’s list of significant incidents also includes fires in Nisa, Castelo Branco, Sever do Vouga, Paredes, and Seia, which, although under control, still enlist 674 security and rescue personnel.
At 16:00, the GNR reported road closures on the National Road 18 (EN18) in the district of Portalegre between Vila Velha de Ródão and Nisa, and on both directions of the A41 motorway between Paços de Ferreira and Espinho in the district of Porto.
Evacuations have been carried out in villages in the North, Center, and Alentejo regions for safety, with local officials requesting more operational resources. Several firefighters suffered minor injuries during the operations, and residents also received assistance.
Rui Rocha, State Secretary for Civil Protection, stated today that the Government is ensuring the availability of 76 aircraft. He emphasized that the effectiveness of these resources in extinguishing fires depends on the nature of each incident.
Portugal has requested satellite aid from the European Union (EU) through the Copernicus system, but has not yet activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the European Commission indicated today to Lusa.
Much of the northern interior and central regions are at maximum rural fire risk today, says the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
The forecast mainly affects municipalities in the districts of Bragança, Vila Real, Viseu, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, and Santarém.
According to IPMA, the high risk of rural fires will persist in the coming days in these regions, worsening in some municipalities in the Algarve.
