The fire that more than 200 operatives have been battling in the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez, district of Viana do Castelo, which broke out on Tuesday night in São Jorge and Ermelo, has been declared contained around 10:30 PM on Wednesday. It has already consumed more than 900 hectares of vegetation. The wind has hindered the efforts, according to Carlos Pereira, commander of the Sub-regional Command of Alto Minho, in statements to Lusa.
So far, there are no reports of injuries or damages due to the fires, nor are there any villages in danger, added a source from the Sub-Regional Command of Alto Minho.
The mayor of Arcos de Valdevez asked the Secretary of State for Civil Protection on Wednesday for “increased policing and investigation” to stop the fires of “criminal origin” that have plagued the municipality.
“Everything indicates that it is intentional and of criminal origin based on the circumstances in which it occurred, the time it occurred, and the way the fire evolved. The information I have been receiving suggests that this is the origin of this fire and many others. We need a concerted action to stop these people who have intentions that are indeed criminal,” João Manuel Esteves stated to Lusa.
“The President of the Republic also called today to inquire about the fire, and I alerted him to the need to strengthen policing and investigation,” the mayor added.
“We have been trying to resolve the problems, but there is a very high number of fires. The overwhelming majority, according to general sentiment, have a criminal origin. This exhausts the resources, discourages people, and makes for an unequal fight. All efforts are made; people spend hours battling fires, and suddenly another one springs up and, then another in a different location,” he emphasized.
The fire initially had two fronts, according to the website of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) — one in Ermelo, which was larger, and another in Lugar da Portela. This morning, all efforts were focused solely on the fire in Ermelo. As of 7:10 PM on Wednesday, 229 operatives were mobilized to combat the fire, supported by 70 vehicles and four aircraft.
The alert for the fire in Arcos de Valdevez was received at 8:21 PM on Tuesday, with a second alert emerging around 12:50 AM for a new fire front, which has since been resolved.
There were two other active fires in the district of Viana do Castelo by late Wednesday afternoon, both raging in areas of vegetation since noon: one in Ponte de Lima, mobilizing 95 operatives and 30 vehicles; and another in Ponte da Barca, with 31 operatives and ten vehicles.
“Serious Failures”
The president of the Humanitarian Association of Volunteer Firefighters of Arcos de Valdevez stated on Wednesday that the high number of fires recorded each year represents “a serious failure” that deserves “reflection by all those involved in Civil Protection.” “Year after year, Arcos de Valdevez continues to be significantly the municipality with the highest number of fires nationwide. It is rare to miss the gold medal in this tragic statistic. There is thus a serious failure that needs to be reflected upon by everyone involved in Civil Protection, especially at the municipal level,” said Germano Amorim, quoted in a statement sent to the press.
According to the official, “it is intolerable to accept this reality as normal without essentially launching a broad debate among all who make up this complex structure.” “It is equally unacceptable to continue accepting that the level of public investment in combating fires is so scarce, as prevention and territorial organization are evidently a terrible failure,” he added.
Germano Amorim advocates for a “significant increase in funding, upstream and downstream, in Arcos de Valdevez, which is located within the Peneda Gerês National Park (PNPG).”
“Each time a fire occurs, the integrity of people, their animals, and property is at risk. It concerns nature, biodiversity, the well-being of populations, their wealth, their economy, tourism, among others. Whoever wants to continue to ‘hide the sun with a sieve’ can do so; on fire days, it becomes much easier,” he advanced.
As an example, he pointed to the scenario experienced on Wednesday in the municipality “with 222 operatives from various parts of the country, 46 vehicles, and support from eight aircraft engaged in combating several fires primarily in the area of the Union of Parishes of São Jorge and Ermelo, which may also affect the parish of Vale, given that another fire in Guilhadeses broke out recently.”
Maximum Fire Danger in More Than 30 Municipalities in Six Districts
More than 30 municipalities in the districts of Portalegre, Santarém, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Guarda, and Bragança are currently at maximum risk of rural fire, on a day when a rise in temperature is expected, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).
Several municipalities across all districts of mainland Portugal show a very high and high risk of fire this Wednesday. This risk, determined by the IPMA, has five levels, ranging from low to maximum. The calculations are obtained based on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and the amount of precipitation in the last 24 hours.
The IPMA forecasts little or no cloud cover in mainland Portugal this Wednesday, with weak to moderate winds from the north — occasionally strong on the western coastal strip and in the highlands, with gusts up to 60 kilometers per hour — and a rise in temperature, especially in the maximum and in the southern region. Minimum temperatures will range between 12ºC (in Coimbra) and 16ºC (in Lisbon, Setúbal, and Faro), and maximum temperatures between 22ºC (in Aveiro) and 31ºC (in Castelo Branco).