The wildfires that started on Sunday north of the city of Aveiro (western Portugal) spread on Monday to the entire region and were directly or indirectly responsible for three deaths, destroyed homes and cut roads. According to CNN Portugal, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the flames killed another 83-year-old woman, this time in the city of Mangualde.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, a firefighter died suddenly while fighting the flames in Oliveira de Azeméis. On Monday, authorities announced two more deaths: a person burned in the fire in Albergaria-a-Velha and a death due to a heart attack in Sever do Vouga.
One of the worst days in recent years
In one of the worst days of fires in recent years, the flames reached on Monday the districts of Porto, in Gondomar; of Braga, in Cabeceiras de Basto; of Viseu, in Penalva do Castelo and Nelas (with six injured); and of Castelo Branco, in Louriçal do Campo. But it was the district of Aveiro, with 10,000 hectares already burned, which was the epicentre of the largest fires, first in Oliveira de Azeméis, then in Sever do Vouga, Albergaria-a-Velha and Águeda.
In addition to the deaths, the fires in the district have left several people injured. In Oliveira de Azeméis, where flames have been raging since Sunday, the mayor, Joaquim Jorge Ferreira, reported four injuries.
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In Albergaria-a-Velha, according to the mayor, António Loureiro, who also reported four injured, the flames that came from Sever do Vouga affected 20 houses, leaving several people homeless. Several vehicles and two warehouses were also destroyed.
The mayor of Águeda, Jorge Almeida, said that a firefighter was also injured. The elected official revealed that houses were affected by the fire that came from Sever do Vouga. According to the deputy mayor, Paulo Nogueira, the flames destroyed poultry farms and car workshops there.
Emergency plans activated
In Aveiro, the district’s Civil Protection Emergency Plan was activated on Monday morning, and the affected municipalities also activated their Civil Protection Emergency Plans. In total, six municipal plans were activated in the country.
Due to the fires in the district, the A1, A25 and A29 motorways were closed to traffic throughout the day on Monday, and other national roads were also cut off. During the night, the A1 and A13 motorways were closed in the Coimbra region. Rail traffic on the Northern Line was also interrupted.
Firefighters battle the flames in Albergaria-a-Velha, in the Aveiro district, in the northwest of the country. © PHOTO: AFP
In a statement published Monday evening, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) reported two serious injuries in the fires in the north and centre of the country, numerous preventive evacuations and the destruction of houses (more than 20), outbuildings, warehouses and industrial installations, for a number that it is not yet possible to specify.
Strengthening air resources
With several fires in progress and very unfavourable weather forecasts, Portugal has requested assistance from the European Union under the European Civil Protection Mechanism, and a reinforcement of resources has been announced from Spain, France, Greece and Italy, at a rate of two planes per country.
This article was originally published on the website of Contact.
Adaptation: Pascal Mittelberger.
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