By 11:00 PM, 2,507 personnel, supported by 812 land units, were engaged in active efforts to combat 22 wildfires, stated José Rodrigues from the national headquarters of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC).
An additional 50 fires have reached a resolution phase, involving further resources on-site, he noted.
Among the significant incidents, the fire that ignited in Piódão, located in the municipality of Arganil, Coimbra district, commanded the largest deployment, with 851 personnel on the ground.
Luís Paulo Costa, the mayor of Arganil, highlighted this evening that one of the most concerning aspects of the fire, which broke out today in Piódão parish and has multiple active hotspots, is a front potentially advancing southwest towards the neighboring municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra.
Throughout the day, fire fronts in Arganil, originating from Piódão, progressed northward and northwest, moving towards Oliveira do Hospital municipality and another front northeast, entering Seia municipality in the Guarda district, driven by strong winds and the steep terrain of the Açor mountains.
More than 500 personnel were battling, by 11:00 PM, a fire that has been active since Saturday in Trancoso, Guarda district, which maintained an active front approximately six kilometers long, representing “a lot of work” for the operators, according to Civil Protection.
The fire that began in the early hours today in Sátão, Viseu district, extended into the municipalities of Sernancelhe (Viseu) and Aguiar da Beira (Guarda), displaying an explosive behavior that prevented direct combat by late afternoon, according to the field commander. At 11:00 PM, 421 personnel remained in combat operations.
In Tabuaço, the fire burning in this Viseu district municipality since Sunday retained an active front without immediate danger by late afternoon, while the front causing most concern near Paradela was under control, according to the field commander. By 11:00 PM, 254 personnel were deployed.
The fire that ignited late this afternoon in Quiraz, Vinhais municipality, Bragança district, was among the notable incidents, involving 95 personnel, just as the fire in Cinfães, Viseu district, had 64 personnel on duty.
Still significant yet in the mopping-up phase is the fire that started in Sirarelhe, Vila Real municipality, which lasted 12 days after burning 6,445 hectares in the Alvão mountains and experienced two rekindlings, one on Saturday and another on Monday. By 11:00 PM, 295 personnel remained at the scene.
Additionally, the fire that ignited early this afternoon in Vila Chã de Sá, Viseu district, entered resolution tonight, keeping 106 personnel on site.
José Rodrigues further informed that throughout the day, several individuals were injured, both personnel and civilians, though none were reported to be in serious condition.
The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) reported that as of January 1, 63,247 hectares had burned in Portugal, half of which occurred in the past three weeks.
This year’s burned area is nine times greater than during the same period last year and is the second-largest since 2017.
Portugal has been under a state of alert for rural fire risk since August 2.
