In a statement, Civil Protection indicates that the alert was received at 09:48 AM, through the Integrated Communications Center of the Regional Command for Relief Operations.
At 2:45 PM, the fire was progressing “on a slope with difficult access” in the parish of Serra de Água, “aggravated by the presence of wind in the area.”
“Given the complexity of the situation, the Commander of Relief Operations of the Mixed Fire Department of Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol requested an aerial resource and its respective helicopter-transported brigade to assist the six operatives from that fire department. Although they were mobilized with a fire-fighting vehicle, the terrain conditions limit the effectiveness of ground operations,” the statement reads.
According to Civil Protection, the helicopter is “the main resource for fighting the flames” in this occurrence.
The aerial resource has been part of the Madeira Forest Fire Operational Combat Plan since 2018. Its activation was a controversial issue for several years due to the orography and winds recorded on the island of Madeira.
The archipelago is currently under a yellow warning due to hot weather until Friday, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
