São Marcos da Serra fire rages on with three active fronts

A fire with three active fronts is ploughing with great intensity through a forest area in São Marcos da Serra, in the Algarve, currently being fought by 200 operatives and 11 aerial means, indicated a civil protection source.

“When the alert was given (14:56 this afternoon), the fire was already of great intensity, moving forward on three fronts with great intensity in an area of ??brush, eucalyptus and cork trees, in a complicated landscape, in difficult terrain and difficult areas to access that does not facilitate the work of firefighters” a source from the Algarve District Distress Command (CDOS) revealed to press.

Despite the fact that the wind is not very intense, the fire “is causing several projections”, which makes it difficult for the 200 operatives who are trying to fight the fire in the municipality of Silves, he added. According to the same source “there are many ways for it go”, requiring a concerted strategy for an initial energetic fight, in a task that “is not proving to be easy”.

At the moment “there is no report of the existence of sensitive points on the land”, namely houses in danger, but it has not yet been possible to know the extent of the fronts or the burnt area.

According to the data available on the page of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, at 17:05 this fire is being fought by 200 operational personnel assisted by 57 vehicles and 11 aerial means.

Today, around 40 municipalities in eight districts in the northern, central and Algarve interiors – Faro, Portalegre, Santarém, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Viseu, Vila Real and Bragança – have been on maximum fire risk, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

According to IPMA, at least until the end of this week, the maximum and very high fire risk will remain as so in several counties due to the hot weather that is expected.