According to the Castelo Branco District Operations and Relief Center (CDOS), at the beginning of the day, three command posts were set up - Penhas da Saúde (Covilhã), Manteigas and Sarzedo (Arganil) - and the fire had two fronts (Manteigas and Verdelhos).

According to information available at 10:00 am on National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) website, 603 people were on the ground fighting the fire, supported by 195 vehicles and six air assets.

The fire broke out at 3:18 am on Saturday, in the town of Garrocho, parish of Cantar-Galo and Vila do Carvalho, in the municipality of Covilhã (Castelo Branco), and spread to Manteigas, in the district of Guarda.

During Sunday afternoon, three firefighters were removed from the area due to “illness, burns and trauma”, with two of them being transported to a hospital and another receiving assistance at a health centre.

The National Road (EN) 338, which connects Piornos and Manteigas, was closed to traffic, but reopened late Monday afternoon.

In addition to the closure of the EN388, the fire forced the evacuation of Praia Fluvial de Verdelhos.