Portugal deployed 2,500 firefighters on Thursday to battle 10 active wildfires as authorities evacuated four villages in Ponte da Barca and arrested a suspect linked to four blazes in northern districts.
The fire in Arouca, in the Aveiro district, has involved the largest contingent of responders, with 675 firefighters on the ground since early morning. Residents provided food, water and supplies to firefighters gathering at the Arouca Volunteer Fire Brigade headquarters as operations continued across multiple fronts.
While there were no remaining active fronts in Arouca, the flames have spread to Castelo de Paiva and Cinfães, complicating the efforts to contain the blaze.
The fire in Ponte da Barca, in the district of Viana do Castelo, has turned out to be the most significant challenge, given its size and the complexities involved in accessing resources to put out the flames, according to the national Civil Protection command.
Four villages had to be evacuated on Thursday for safety reasons, with a large part of the residents, around 150 people, moved to the Ponte da Barca Municipal Pavilion, authorities said.
At 6.30 am local time (7:30 am CEST), a total of 414 firefighters were in Ponte da Barca..
In Terras de Bouro, the blaze — which spread to the municipality of some 7,000 residents from Ponte da Barca — endangered homes and local businesses.
According to Mayor Manuel Tibo, the fire is just metres from the houses, with firefighters trying to create a water line to protect the residents and their property.
Meanwhile, the blaze in the parishes of Aguiar de Sousa and Recarei, in Paredes, was almost completely contained overnight.
The fires have forced road closures, with sections of the highway and regional roads shut down for traffic.
In Nisa, in the Alentejo, the fire that had forced the partial evacuation of two villages and left one person homeless was contained Thursday morning. Residents have begun returning to their homes, according to reports.
Alleged perpetrator detained
Meanwhile, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced on Wednesday that it had arrested the alleged perpetrator of arson that led to four forest fires, which took place between 4 and 5 July in Terras de Bouro and Vieira do Minho.
“The Judicial Police, through the Criminal Investigation Department of Braga, with the collaboration of the GNR, arrested, out of flagrante delicto, the alleged perpetrator of four forest fire crimes,” the statement read.
The 32-year-old suspect will be brought before the judiciary for an initial questioning later on Thursday.
The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere placed most municipalities in Bragança, Vila Real, Guarda, Viseu, Coimbra, Castelo Branco and Faro districts under maximum rural fire danger Thursday, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees expected nationwide.
