The heat shows no sign of easing, and neither do the first major wildfires of the season. At 18:00 this Friday, six fires were burning in Portugal. To respond to these incidents, more than 1,500 personnel were on the ground, supported by around 500 vehicles and 25 aircraft.
This situation led the Portuguese government to activate, on Friday, the European Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as bilateral agreements in place with Spain and Morocco.
The main concern is the wildfire in the municipality of Vouzela, in the district of Viseu, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday. The blaze has several active fronts and continues to spread, fuelled by the high temperatures and some wind.
According to information on the Civil Protection website, at 18:00 about 1,100 firefighters and other responders were battling the flames, backed by around 360 ground vehicles and eleven aircraft.
The National Authority for Civil Protection (ANPC) told the Lusa news agency in the morning that the fire is threatening homes and has already forced the suspension of services on the Vouga railway line between Mourisca do Vouga and Águeda. At least seven people have been injured, the ANPC said.
