According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), at 9:00 am there were 23 active rural fires, with the highest incidence and causing the greatest concern in the Porto Metropolitan Area and the Aveiro region.

In statements to Lusa, commander José Miranda said that at that time air assets had already been mobilised to help fight the flames, explaining that the most significant fires are those in Oliveira de Azeméis, Paredes, Castro Daire and Nelas.

The official added that the authorities were forced to evacuate around a hundred people as a precaution, and that among the 40 injured were 23 civil protection agents and 17 civilians.

As for the buildings affected by the fire, the municipal civil protection services of the municipalities of Baião, Albergaria-a-Velha and Sever do Vouga are still assessing the damage.

The data available on the ANEPC website indicate that, by 9:20 am, 148 incidents had been recorded, involving 5,163 personnel, around 1,600 land vehicles and 21 air vehicles.

The Civil Protection estimated early Monday evening that at least 10,000 hectares had burned in the Porto Metropolitan Area and the Aveiro region.

Early this morning, the GNR reported that several roads had been closed or restricted in the districts of Aveiro, Coimbra, Viseu, Vila Real, Braga and Porto as a result of the fires.

The Government has extended the alert situation due to the risk of fires until Thursday, in light of weather forecasts, and announced the creation of a multidisciplinary team to deal with the consequences of the fires of recent days, based in Aveiro and coordinated by the Deputy Minister and Minister for Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida.

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