In statements to Lusa news agency, Ricardo Nascimento said that the most concerning situation in the municipality at the moment is in Serra de Água, where the fire “is very close to homes.” “We are also apprehensive because it seems that the fire is moving towards the Furna area, in the parish of Ribeira Brava, west of Serra de Água,” he stated.
“The idea is to evacuate, try to resolve the fires, and then, if conditions return to normal, people can return to their homes,” he emphasized.
The president of the Serra da Água Parish Council said that people are being removed from their homes “as a precaution.” Albertina Ferreira, who has been on the ground and was busy with this action, added that this afternoon about 20 people were removed from their homes, “mostly elderly and bedridden” from various parts of the parish, namely Pinheiro, Eira da Moura, and Fajã dos Vinháticos.
The official stressed that the situation “worsened because the mountains are connected to each other, which allows the fire to spread” and the wind continues to be a factor that hinders firefighting efforts. However, she indicated that the fire “was not yet threatening houses.”
In Serra de Água, the night was “chaotic” and overwhelming. Tonight was “chaotic” in the parish of Serra de Água, Madeira, with several active fire fronts and few resources, but the situation has since calmed down, although in the early afternoon it was necessary to remove some people from their homes.
As of this morning, there were no reports of homes affected by the fire, only barns or “some vacant property,” according to the mayor of Ribeira Brava, Ricardo Nascimento. He also reported another active fire in the Lugar da Serra area, in the parish of Campanário, in a forested area far from homes. Ricardo Nascimento says it should be a case of arson, independent of the fire that has been burning since Wednesday.
Madeira has been hit by a fire that broke out on Wednesday morning in Serra de Água, in an area of difficult access, and then spread to the neighboring municipality of Câmara de Lobos. At least 160 people were removed from their homes due to the fire in the two municipalities, according to a source from the Regional Secretariat of Health and Civil Protection of Madeira.
According to the latest assessment released by the Regional Civil Protection Service at 8:30 AM, 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, in the contiguous municipality to the west, Ribeira Brava. Civil Protection will make another official assessment at 7:00 PM.
This morning, the flames were being fought by 120 operatives from all the region’s fire departments, supported by 43 vehicles and the aerial resource that has already begun operations. The archipelago now has the support of 76 members of the joint force of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.
