Fire in Vouzela worsens with five active fronts approaching villages; affecting Águeda

The wildfire that broke out in Vouzela (Viseu district) in the very early hours of Thursday morning (suggesting arson) has worsened considerably overnight, due to wind and the high temperatures that have reduced humidity to an absolute minimum.

The blaze is now active on five active fronts. It has approached villages, that are being ‘protected’, according to a source from the local fire department – but the smoke and ash is widespread, even reaching Águeda where people today have been telling radio station Antena 1 that they cannot breathe properly unless inside their homes.

Vouzela fire department deputy commander Pedro Mateus acknowledges that the wind is complicating combat, but said there are no plans to evacuate villages or homes ‘at this stage’.

At 6pm last night, the fire had two active fronts burning with considerable intensity. What seems to have happened is a combination of strong wind and so-called ‘spot fires’ (fires caused by burning debris carried by the wind), which caused the main blaze to spread over long distances.

Vouzela mayor Carlos Oliveira tells Lusa that “one of the fronts, the most intense one and the one causing the greatest concern, is the one heading toward the Campia industrial zone,” in Oliveira de Frades, also in the district of Viseu.

“But there are no residents or anyone else at risk. The other front is at the point where the fire started, in Cambra,” Vouzela, Carlos Oliveira added.

There are currently over 800 personnel and more than 250 vehicles at the scene. Air support will get underway if it hasn’t already.

For this particular fire, today will be extremely difficult, due to the adverse weather conditions.

Commander António Ribeiro, from the Sub-Regional Command for the Aveiro Region, said that, “given today’s atmospheric and weather conditions and the very strong winds,” the fire “has been affecting the entire municipality of Águeda, from the most mountainous areas to almost the urban part of the city.”

Firefighters will need “a very great effort” to safeguard all the isolated communities and infrastructure that is now in the line of fire.

Armed forces reinforce air and ground assets

In a post on their official Facebook profile, the Portuguese Armed Forces announced the reinforcement of “air assets for monitoring risky behaviour and detecting wildfire outbreaks, using crewed aircraft from the Air Force and uncrewed aircraft from the Navy and the Air Force.”

“In addition, two AW119 Koala helicopters and, for the first time, two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters have joined the Special Rural Wildfire Fighting Force (DECIR),” the post continues.

Surveillance is also being carried out on the ground, where “50 Navy and Army patrols are monitoring the areas at greatest risk.”

The Armed Forces have also been carrying out work since April, “having already restored more than 850 km of forest tracks across ten municipalities.”

Meantime, Portugal today has begun an official ‘situation of alert’ due to exceptionally high temperatures and the risks they carry for rural fires.

For information of the do’s and don’ts in a situation of alert, see our previous stories published online.

Sources: LUSA/ SIC Notícias/ Antena 1