In statements to Lusa news agency, Leonel Silva emphasized that the decision was made in response to the rapid evolution of the fire, which began on Wednesday in Ribeira Brava and spread to Câmara de Lobos the following night, and the forecasts of continued wind and heat in the coming days.
“I consider it important to activate the Municipal Emergency Plan and convene the Municipal Civil Protection Commission in order to assess the progress of work on the ground, and also to take measures to prepare for the coming hours and days so that we can ensure that the resources engaged are properly organized to meet the needs of the population,” he stressed.
The mayor also indicated that it was decided this afternoon to evacuate the site of Fajã das Galinhas, in the parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, where about 60 people were removed. Most will be accommodated in the homes of relatives and friends, 10 will be housed in a municipal facility, and four, due to health problems, will be integrated into a health unit.
During the early hours of today, about 50 families, totaling more than 100 people, were also removed from the areas of Seara Velha and Terra Chã, in the parish of Curral das Freiras, and conditions are not yet met for them to return to their homes.
Some will stay with family or friends, others will be housed in municipal facilities and also in the parish’s gymnasium, said the mayor.
According to an assessment made by the Regional Secretary for Health and Civil Protection, Pedro Ramos, at 1:00 PM, the fire was active in Encumeada (Ribeira Brava), and in the parishes of Curral das Freiras and Jardim da Serra, in Câmara de Lobos.
Fighting the various active fronts were 54 operatives, supported by 18 vehicles and the helicopter of the Madeira Regional Civil Protection Service, as well as elements of the PSP and the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation.
Funchal City Council removes animals from municipal kennel as a precaution
The Funchal City Council, in Madeira, is preventively removing some animals from the Vasco Gil municipal kennel, following the fire that is ravaging the region, although it dismisses “any imminent danger”.
Around 3:30 PM, the Regional Secretariat for Civil Protection announced in a statement that the region will receive 80 members of the Special Force of Firefighters in the coming hours to help fight the fire.
In the note, the authority adds that “the resources on the ground have been reinforced and the forest intervention teams assigned to the National Republican Guard have been activated,” without specifying the number of resources involved.
