The heat is relentless – and so are the first major wildfires of the season. At 14:00 this Friday, seven fires were burning in Portugal, mobilising more than 1,300 personnel on the ground in the fight against the flames, supported by around 420 vehicles and 13 aircraft.
The biggest concern is the fire in the municipality of Vouzela, in the district of Viseu, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday. The blaze has several active fronts and continues to advance, fuelled by high temperatures and some wind.
According to information on the Civil Protection website, at 14:00 around 960 firefighters were battling the flames, supported by 311 ground resources and ten aircraft.
The National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) confirmed to the Lusa news agency in the morning that the fire is threatening homes and has already forced the closure of the Vouga railway line between Mourisca do Vouga and Águeda. At least seven people have been injured, according to the ANPC.
Beyond Vouzela, the flames have spread to three other municipalities: Oliveira de Frades, Águeda and Tondela. In the latter, two villages have been partially evacuated as a precaution.
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System (source in Portuguese)(EFFIS), consulted by Euronews at 14:00, the fire has already burned more than 11,000 hectares of land.
Aside from Vouzela, the fire in Barcelos, which at the same time was mobilising 101 firefighters and dozens of vehicles, had several active fronts that have begun to yield to the resources on the ground, a Civil Protection source told Lusa.
In addition to these two blazes, there are five other fires currently recorded in Cinfães, Castelo de Paiva, Póvoa de Lanhoso, Esposende and Montemor-o-Velho.
Interior minister suggests arson in Vouzela fire
The Minister of Internal Administration has raised the possibility of criminal intent behind the large-scale fire, which ignited during the night.
"Night-time does not usually provide conditions for ignitions to occur, and yet there were two ignitions at around 02:00–03:00 in the morning," said Luís Neves, speaking to journalists in Torres Novas, stressing that "everything indicates that there was, in fact, human involvement, criminal behaviour".
The minister said that the "country is prepared" to fight the fires, noting that the situation in that municipality in the district of Viseu is particularly sensitive because of its size and the number of active fronts.
Speaking in Toronto, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said the country "is getting ready" to tackle the fires and the difficult season ahead, insisting that Portugal is deploying all its available capacity.
Portugal on red alert: mainland at maximum fire risk
Almost all Portuguese territory is under maximum or very high rural fire danger warnings, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Only six coastal districts face a moderate risk.
The government yesterday declared a state of alert, in force from 00:00 today until 23:59 on Monday, due to the "significant worsening of the risk of rural fires". IPMA indicates that the restrictions set out in the government’s notice take precedence over those defined by the Rural Fire Danger classes.
Exceptional measures include a ban on access to, movement within and remaining inside forest areas, as well as a prohibition on the use of fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices. Burning-off and certain types of work in forest and rural areas are also forbidden. The alert also entails reinforcing surveillance resources and the level of readiness of the authorities, namely the GNR and PSP police forces.
The country is in the grip of an intense heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees in some regions. Very hot nights are also expected, with minimum temperatures above 20 degrees and low humidity levels.
IPMA has placed 13 mainland districts under red warning, the highest level, due to the heat. Bragança, Faro, Guarda, Vila Real and Viseu are under orange warning.
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