Firefighters continue to battle fire in Câmara de Lobos, Madeira
There is still no end in sight to the massive fire which has been raging in Madeira for one week, with the mayor of Câmara de Lobos telling reporters the “fire was still very active” last night in Curral das Freiras.
“We thought it was going to continue towards Pico do Areeiro, it did, but there was a change in the winds and it ended up opening an active line that went down the hill and returned to a residential area in Pico Furão, which led to the need to (evacuate) a bedridden woman, as a precaution,” Leonel Silva told Lusa at around 9am this Wednesday morning.
According to the mayor, “it was an intense night of firefighting” at the site, with “firefighters positioned on a water line, on a footpath to the north of the houses”, which allowed them to “contain the progression of the fire at that point”.
This morning, “residential areas are out of danger,” he said.
“The fire is still active in the Lombo do Portais area, but it’s a mountainous, very steep, not residential, and not agricultural. It’s a pure forest area, but it’s still very active and progressing,” he explained. Leonel Silva added that “the resources are still on site,” waiting for the possibility of intervening in safe conditions.
“At the moment there is no residential area that is even close to danger, but we are prepared to intervene as soon as it is opportune and possible,” he said.
The rural fire in Madeira broke out a week ago, on August 14, in the mountains of Ribeira Brava, spreading on Thursday to the municipality of Câmara de Lobos and, at the weekend, to the municipality of Ponta do Sol.
In these eight days, the authorities have instructed nearly 200 people to leave their homes as a precaution and have made public reception facilities available. Still, many residents have now returned, except for Fajã das Galinhas, in Câmara de Lobos, and Furna, in Ribeira Brava.
The fight against the flames has been hampered by the wind, which has now died down, and high temperatures, but there have been no reports of homes or essential infrastructure being destroyed.
Three firefighters have received hospital assistance for exhaustion and symptoms related to ‘indisposition’, and there are no other injuries.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System, indicated by the Regional Civil Protection Service president, António Nunes, points to 4,392 hectares of burnt area by 12 noon on Tuesday.
The Judicial Police are investigating the cause of the fire, but Miguel Albuquerque, the president of the Madeiran government who is due to visit sites affected by the fire this Wednesday, says it was arson.
Source: LUSA
