Fires. More than 3,550 firefighters battle major fires at midnight

At 00:15, more than 3,550 firefighters were fighting the eight main fires currently raging on the mainland, with the fires in Sátão (Viseu district), Arganil (Coimbra) and Trancoso (Guarda) attracting the largest number of resources, according to Civil Protection.

According to the website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), there were 3,556 operators and 1,168 land resources on the ground responding to the eight significant fires currently underway.

The bushfire in Vila Boa, Sátão, in the region of Viseu, Dão and Lafões, which started on Wednesday at 00:03, mobilized 1,028 operators and 334 land resources, followed by the Piódão incident, in Arganil, in the district of Coimbra, which also broke out on Wednesday at 05:08, as a result of an electrical discharge from a dry thunderstorm, which involved 1,012 operators and 342 vehicles.

The flames in Frexes, Trancoso, in the Beiras and Serra da Estrela region, which broke out on August 9, at 4:21 pm, were fought by 445 operators and 149 land resources, while the fire that was raging in a forest in Candal, in Lousã, in the district of Coimbra, since Thursday, at 1:46 pm, mobilized 332 operators and 104 land resources.

The agricultural fire in Poiares, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, in the Douro region, which started at 1:17 pm on Friday, involved 287 operators and 93 land resources, while the fire in Pêra do Moço, in Guarda, which started on Friday at 10:44 am, involved 238 operators and 86 vehicles.

In Alto Alentejo, in São Gens, Nisa, in the district of Portalegre, a fire in a forest, which broke out at 6:13 pm on Friday, was fought by 138 operators and 39 resources, while the flames that consumed the bush in Aldeia de Sabugal, in Sabugal, district of Guarda, which started at 2:41 pm on Friday, were fought by 76 operators and 21 land resources.

Three fires were being resolved, in Sirarelhos, Vila Real, which started on August 3, which still mobilized 151 operators and 47 land resources, in Tábua and Pereiro, Tabuaço, in the district of Viseu, which broke out on the 11th, with 89 operators and 29 resources, and also in a forest population in Tapada do Loureiro, Portalegre, which started on Thursday, with 157 operators and 52 resources.

At 00:50, ANEPC recorded 47 incidents in the fight against forest, bush and agricultural fires, both ongoing and being resolved, involving 4,615 operational personnel and 1,500 land resources.

According to Mário Silvestre, national commander of Emergency and Civil Protection, between 00:00 and 17:00 on Friday, "65 incidents were recorded, 16 of which occurred at night", that is, until 08:00, which involved 2,080 operators, with 556 land resources and 170 missions with air resources.

At the situation update at ANEPC headquarters, in Carnaxide (Oeiras), at 7:00 pm, the operational manager stated that of 14 ongoing incidents, 10 were the most worrying, thus mobilizing 3,023 operational personnel, 1,000 vehicles and 26 aerial resources.

The special readiness status of the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR) has remained at the maximum level of four since August 11, and the district Emergency and Civil Protection plans of Viseu and Coimbra, and the municipal plans of Trancoso, Oliveira do Hospital, Arganil, Aguiar da Beira, Sátão, Sernancelhe, Seia, Pampilhosa da Serra, Tábua and Góis are activated.

ANEPC, in view of the declaration of a state of alert in force, highlighted the prohibition of access and circulation in forest areas, the carrying out of burning and burning and the suspension of authorizations that have been issued, work in forest areas using any type of machinery, and work in other rural areas, as well as the use of fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices.