Wildfire near Seixal threatens NATO munitions store

Wind pushing flames towards Sesimbra

A fire that began in the Seixal suburb of Belverde today has already reached one home, and is bearing down on others, as well as a store of NATO munitions, reports SIC Notícias.

A fuel filling station and supermarket are also under threat as the flames are being fanned towards them with the wind.

Right now it is unclear whether the house affected has been saved from total destruction. As SIC’s report explains, it may only have been ‘partially affected’.

The main concern at this point is the intensity of the wind and its direction, as the flames are being pushed south where there is an extensive area of scrubland that reaches Sesimbra, says the station.

The fire started in a car that caught fire on the A33. The flames quickly spread to an area of scrub, a GNR source has explained.

The two accesses to the area from the A33 have been cut off as more than 300 firefighters from Setúbal, Sintra, Oeiras and Loures fight the blaze, backed by scores of vehicles and firefighting aircraft.

UPDATE: Flames “very near a NATO munitions deposit, in the area of Herdade da Apostiça, in Fernão Ferro”.

This fire is now visible over tens of kilometres. It has happened on a day when the Lisbon area is under yellow warning due to a strong northwesterly wind, with gusts of up to 75 kms/ hour along coastal areas and in the hills.

Fire chief Miguel Silva has said it is proving very difficult to fight this fire, but “firefighters are giving their best”.

He describes the fire as ‘active’ but with teams of firefighters positioned in such a way to try and ensure that it is ‘dominated’ before it can cause any harm to residences/ property – and clearly, the munitions stored at a base run by the Navy, in Fernão Ferro.

Firefighting aircraft will remain active until sunset at 8pm, he tells reporters.

Source: SIC