“Given the evolution of the situation and taking into account the weather conditions that are making it difficult for the men to act on the ground, and after new contact with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection and the president of the National Civil Protection Authority, the Regional Government announces that all the necessary logistics are currently underway to allow 80 members of the Special Firefighting Force to arrive in Madeira in the next few hours”, reads a note sent to newsrooms.

In the statement, the Regional Secretariat for Health and Civil Protection states that “this force of men will complement all the work that is being done on the ground by the firefighters, Forest Police and other entities involved in fighting the fire”.

“We would also like to inform you that, at the last minute, the resources on the ground were reinforced and the forestry intervention teams assigned to the National Republican Guard were activated”, the department said, without specifying the number of resources.

The Madeira Regional Health Service (Sesaram) has made two support lines available to all users in the region, one provided by the psychology service, with the number 969320140, and the 24-hour SRS support line, provided by the family support office, with the number 800242420.

Speaking to journalists in Curral das Freiras, in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, at around 1:00 pm, the regional secretary for Health and Civil Protection said that around 50 families were receiving clinical, social and psychological support in Curral das Freiras, in Madeira, after being evacuated from their homes due to the fire that is affecting the parish.

The health centre and the local church are open to receive those in need.

Access to the parish, located in the interior of the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, has been restricted.

According to Pedro Ramos, the fire, which started on Wednesday morning in Serra de Água, in the municipality of Ribeira Brava, was active at 1:00 pm in Encumeada, in that municipality, and in the parishes of Curral das Freiras and Jardim da Serra, in the neighbouring municipality of Câmara de Lobos.