The regional secretary for Environment and Climate Action announced that the Azores team will depart on a flight to Madeira on Saturday night, expected to arrive at 00:35.
The president of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, following the Autonomous Region of the Azores’ offer to send resources to support the firefighting efforts, stated today that Madeira was receptive to this help, but the decision would be made depending on how the situation evolves throughout the day, including with the team that arrived from Lisbon.
The Azores Government expressed its willingness this morning to send operational resources to help fight the fire in Madeira, having organized a team.
According to a press release from the Regional Government of the Azores, the regional secretary for Environment and Climate Action contacted the regional secretary for Health and Civil Protection of Madeira, Pedro Ramos, demonstrating “total availability and readiness of the Azores Government to send human operational resources to reinforce the current apparatus.”
The Azorean executive revealed that the Regional Civil Protection and Fire Service of the Azores (SRPCBA) “has organized a team, if needed, to help fight the fire, composed of elements from the fire departments and one operational.”
Madeira is being hit by a large fire that broke out on Wednesday morning in Serra de Água, Ribeira Brava municipality, in an area of difficult access, and then spread to the neighboring municipality of Câmara de Lobos.
At least 160 people were evacuated from their homes due to the fire in the two municipalities, a source from the Regional Secretariat of Health and Civil Protection told Lusa today.
According to the latest official report released by the Regional Civil Protection Service at 08:30, three fronts were active in the areas of Curral das Freiras and Fajã das Galinhas, in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, and in Serra de Água.
The flames are being fought by 120 operatives from all fire departments in the region, supported by 43 vehicles and the archipelago’s aerial resources. The region also counts, starting today, with the support of 76 elements from the joint force of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.
