The Portuguese Red Cross (CVP) announced on Thursday that it has sent 280 kilograms of supplies to Madeira, aiming to “empower the local structure” and strengthen its “resilience capacity in the face of future contingencies.”
In a press release, the CVP stated that the shipped materials include camp beds, blankets, male and female hygiene kits, and two backpacks with defibrillators (AED).
“This continuous strengthening of our local structures’ capabilities is essential for providing immediate and prompt aid and care,” said António Saraiva, National President of the Portuguese Red Cross, as quoted in the statement.
In total, the CVP emergency structure in Madeira, where a fire has been burning for over a week, has seven fully equipped ambulances and “more than 80 people, including health technicians (namely first responders and nurses) who voluntarily respond to pre-hospital emergencies and other needs in the region.”
The wildfire on Madeira Island broke out on August 14 in the mountains of Ribeira Brava municipality, progressively spreading to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and through Pico Ruivo to Santana.
Authorities instructed nearly 200 people to leave their homes as a precaution and made public shelters available, but many residents have already returned, except for those from Fajã das Galinhas in Câmara de Lobos.
Firefighting efforts have been hampered by wind and high temperatures, but there are no reports of destroyed houses or essential infrastructure.
Some firefighters have received assistance for exhaustion or minor injuries, with no other injuries reported.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System indicates that over 4,930 hectares of area have burned.
The Judicial Police are investigating the causes of the fire, but the president of the Madeiran executive, Miguel Albuquerque, said it was arson.
