“The fire is burning intensely with three large fronts, and I have very few ground resources and no aerial resources at this time,” stated Humberto Sarmento, commander of the Volunteer Firefighters of Tarouca, to Lusa near 8:30 PM.
The commander explained that this fire emerged following another, “which is now under control, but it reached another slope with very difficult access, spanning kilometers, and is currently on a slope, with the Santa Helena mountain ahead, on the front slope.”
“There are no localities in danger, but the fire is moving along the line of the villages of Vilarinho, Valverde, and Mondim da Beira. This is the area where the fire is, without leaving the municipality,” he added.
The alert for the fire in Vilarinho, in the parish of São João de Tarouca, Tarouca municipality, Viseu district, was issued around 7:00 PM on Saturday.
As of 8:45 PM today, 125 operatives supported by 39 vehicles were combating the blaze, according to the official website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).
Continental Portugal has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, particularly in the northern and central regions, amid high temperatures that prompted the declaration of a state of alert from August 2.
The fires have caused two fatalities, including a firefighter, and several injuries, mostly minor, and have completely or partially destroyed primary and secondary residences, as well as agricultural, livestock, and forest areas.
Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which two Fire Boss planes are expected to arrive on Monday to assist in fighting the fires.
According to provisional official data, by August 17, 172,000 hectares had burned in the country, exceeding the area burned throughout 2024.
