The commander of the Nelas Volunteer Firefighters, Guilherme Almeida, added that the situation “is calmer, with only one or two reactivations occurring, but without any concern.”
“Yesterday [Wednesday], we were still able to help our colleagues in Mangualde,” revealed Guilherme Almeida.
The meteorological conditions, with decreasing wind and temperature, will help consolidate the aftermath, the commander confirmed.
According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority page, at 11:24 AM, there were 121 operatives on the ground, supported by 32 vehicles.
Seven people have died and about 120 have been injured in the fires that have been affecting mainly the North and Center regions of the country since Sunday, in the districts of Aveiro, Porto, Vila Real, Braga, Viseu, and Coimbra. These fires have destroyed dozens of houses and forced road and highway closures.
The burned area in mainland Portugal since Sunday exceeds 106,000 hectares, according to the European Copernicus system, which shows that nearly 76,000 hectares have burned in the North and Center regions.
The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) counted 34 active fires as of 7:30 PM on Wednesday, with 18 of these assuming a “significant” dimension and mobilizing more resources. In combating these 18 fires, 2,434 operatives were involved, supported by 734 ground vehicles and 23 aerial means.
The Government declared a state of calamity in all municipalities affected by the fires in recent days.
