And next 24 will be “very complex and difficult” – civil protection
In spite of this morning’s upbeat forecast, Portugal’s civil protection authority has had to admit that the next 48-hours are unlikely to see much in the way of change in the various raging fires tearing through north and central districts.
At this afternoon’s press conference at the headquarters of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), national commander André Fernandes stressed the next 24 hours are going to be “very complex and difficult” for firefighters and communities affected.
“We don’t expect the situation to calm down in the next 48 hours. What we do expect is that windows of opportunity may arise so that we can begin to reverse the situation,” he said.
“The meteorological situation is still quite unfavourable”, meaning that it is still “adverse” and “the risk of fire will not reduce significantly” before Friday.
Fernandes added that fires currently causing concern continue to be those in the Porto metropolitan area and Aveiro region, in the districts of Gondomar, Amarante, Baião, Vila Pouca de Aguiar and Vila Real.
In the Viseu region, especially in the district of Castro Daire, the situation is also “very complicated” and the fire has already entered the district of Arouca (see story in main menu).
When asked about complaints made by mayors about lack of resources to fight these fires – particularly the mayor of Gondomar – Fernandes replied: “the situation is complicated. There are resources scattered over vast areas of the north and centre. Sometimes we think we don’t have the right resources to deal with these requests. Gondomar has activated the municipal civil protection plan and has the existing resources and coordination in place.
“We will always reinforce the theatre of operations after operational analysis and management has been carried out,” he added.
So far, the death toll remains unchanged from yesterday’s seven. Injuries however continue to climb: around 120 people have been injured, 10 of them seriously.
Homes, businesses, commercial premises and roads have all been badly affected – many buildings facing huge repair costs
According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, at 12 noon today there were 44 fires in progress, 23 of which were considered significant. There were more than 3,000 firefighters in the north and central districts, supported by almost a thousand land vehicles and 19 aircraft.
The government has declared a State of Calamity in all the municipalities affected by the fires in recent days.
LUSA
