The heat is unrelenting, and so are the first major wildfires of the season. By 9.30 am, four large fires were keeping more than 1,500 emergency personnel on the ground busy fighting the flames.
The greatest 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 three active fronts and continues to spread. According to information on the Civil Protection website, at 9.30 am 938 personnel were tackling the flames, supported by 288 ground assets and eight aircraft.
The National Civil Protection Authority confirmed to the Lusa news agency that the fire is threatening homes and has already forced the closure of the Vouga railway line between Mourisca do Vouga and Águeda. In addition, the flames have destroyed a fire engine and several farm outbuildings. At least seven people have been injured, according to the ANPC.
Besides Vouzela, fires are also burning in Barcelos, which has mobilised more than 120 personnel and two aircraft, and in Cinfães and Castelo de Paiva.
Portugal on red alert: mainland at maximum fire risk
Almost all Portuguese territory is under a maximum or very high rural fire danger warning, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Only six coastal districts are at moderate risk.
The government declared a state of alert yesterday, in force from 00:00 today until 23:59 on Monday, due to the “significant worsening of the risk of rural fires”. The IPMA notes that the restrictions set out in the government notice override those defined by the Rural Fire Danger classes.
Among the exceptional measures in place are a ban on access to, movement within and staying in forest areas, and a ban on the use of fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices. Burning off and certain types of work in forest and rural areas are also prohibited. The alert also entails reinforcing surveillance resources and the state of readiness of the authorities, namely the GNR and PSP.
The country is in the grip of an intense heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. Nights are also expected to be very hot, with minimum temperatures above 20 degrees and very low humidity.
The IPMA has placed 12 mainland districts under a red alert, the most severe, because of the heat. Bragança, Castelo Branco, Faro, Guarda, Vila Real and Viseu are on orange alert.
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