Civil Protection said that a forest fire in central Portugal has destroyed about 7,000 hectares and caused 11 minor injuries, and is still mobilizing more than a thousand firefighters on Sunday, while the Iberian country is experiencing extreme heat.
“The burned area is estimated at 7,000 hectares, but the potential of this fire is estimated at more than 20,000 hectares.“, announced the commander of emergency services in charge of operations, José Guilherme. “More than a thousand operations personnel who will remain on the ground at this stage are trying to ensure the stability of the fire, which has already reached a circumference of 60 kilometers.“, he said during a press conference in Proença-a-Nova.It is a very large area with many isolated dwellings and villages.He added that firefighters are focusing their efforts on four hot spots where fires are likely to break out again.
The forest fire, which broke out on Friday in the town of Castelo Branco, destroyed about 6,000 hectares within the first 24 hours, according to Civil Protection in a preliminary estimate of the burned area.
On Saturday, the smoke and ash emanating from it reached the holy city of Fatima (centre), even though Pope Francis gathered more than 200,000 pilgrims there.
Another outbreak led to the mobilization of nearly 400 firefighters on Sunday in Odemera, near the country's southwestern coast, leading to the temporary evacuation of four villages.
Some good news
“The flames surrender to the means of combatHowever, civil protection official, Thiago Poggio, indicated on Sunday morning that two fronts of fire were still active, but the third, which was heading towards the south and the Algarve tourist area, had been controlled.
Due to temperatures that could reach 40 degrees Celsius in the areas on Sunday, Civil Protection warned on Saturday of the possibility of a fire.”Very high or maximum throughout the territory” during “Coming days“.
In neighboring Spain, a forest fire that burned nearly 600 hectares in Catalonia (northwest) on the border with France remained under control on Sunday, despite the outbreak of a few cases thanks to violent winds, while Andalusian firefighters were able to control the fire. In Bonares, in Andalusia (south).
