“We are not expecting a calm in the next 48 hours, what is expected is that windows of opportunity may arise to be able to start reversing the situation”, the national emergency and civil protection commander told journalists.
At the press conference held at the headquarters of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) to provide an update on the fires that have been raging in the northern and central regions of Portugal since Sunday, André Fernandes stated that “the weather situation is still quite unfavourable”, meaning that it is still “adverse” and that in the next 48 hours “the risk of fire will not reduce significantly”.
“We will continue to face this risk in the next 48 hours, but in particular the next 24 hours will be very complex and difficult for the firefighters and the population that is being affected” by the fires.
According to the national commander, the fires that are currently causing concern continue to be those in the Porto metropolitan area complex and the Aveiro region, in the municipalities of Gondomar, Amarante, Baião, Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Vila Real.
André Fernandes reported that the situation in the Viseu region, especially in the municipality of Castro Daire, is “very complicated”, with the fire having already reached the municipality of Arouca.
Seven people died and around 120 were injured, 10 of whom were seriously injured, due to the fires that have been raging since Sunday in the North and Centre regions of the country, in the districts of Aveiro, Porto, Vila Real, Braga and Viseu, which have destroyed dozens of houses and forced the closure of roads and motorways.
According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, at 12:00 today, there were 44 fires underway, of which 23 were considered significant occurrences, involving more than 3,000 firefighters, supported by around a thousand land vehicles and 19 air vehicles.
The Government has declared a state of emergency in all municipalities affected by the fires in recent days.