About 175 hectares of pine forest, eucalyptus and scrub burned and 20 beehives were destroyed by the fire that broke out, on Wednesday, in the municipality of Almodovar, district of Beja, revealed today the mayor.
Speaking to the Lusa agency, at a time when the authorities are working on the aftermath and surveillance, António Bota indicated that the burned area refers to this Alentejo municipality and the neighboring municipality of Ourique.
“These are approximate figures of about 95 hectares in Almodôvar and another 80 in Ourique”, said the mayor, noting that this is a preliminary measurement made by the authorities using a drone.
Noting that there is no record of burned houses, António Bota said that the flames destroyed, in addition to the forest area, about 20 hives that were in the field.
“It is always regrettable, because this activity is already difficult and, with this loss, it becomes even more difficult,” he said.
As for the two men who were injured in the firefight, the mayor stressed that one firefighter was hit by the water discharge from a helicopter and was hospitalized with two broken ribs.
“A council president who was also helping to fight the fire ended up with first and second degree burns after contact with the flames and hot equipment,” he added.
Also speaking to Lusa, José Horta, 2nd commander of the Sub-Regional Command of Emergency and Civil Protection of Baixo Alentejo, said that the aftermath and surveillance work mobilized, to 11:30, 220 operational and 76 vehicles.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the municipality of Almodôvar and which had three active fronts and mobilized 375 operatives, was reported to be dominated at 22:15 on Wednesday.
Source of the Territorial Command Beja GNR told Lusa that a fire in a motorhome that circulated on Highway 2 (A2) have caused the fire in this municipality of Baixo Alentejo.
The same source explained that, following the fire in a motorhome, “the flames spread and caught the roadside”, having then progressed to the area of scrub, eucalyptus and pine trees.
The alert for the fire was given at 12:02 and during the afternoon the fire forced the A2 to be cut in both directions, but circulation has already resumed.