Civil Protection has today reinforced means to combat the two fires that are presenting the greatest concerns to the authorities, with nine aerial means for the fire in Odemira and five for the one in Ourém.

“For both fires, a combat strategy was outlined on both flanks that are affecting the fire area and we are going to reinforce it now with (...) heavy air assets (...), with five air assets for Ourém and nine for Odemira”, Commander José Miranda, from the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), told Lusa.

The official also said that "nothing has changed" within the strategic plan that had been outlined earlier in the previous evening.

Odemira fire

The fire that broke out on Saturday in Odemira, in the district of Beja, has already forced the evacuation of four locations in the municipality of Odemira (Vale dos Alhos, Vale de Água, Choça dos Vales and Relva Grande) and another Rural Tourism unit, representing a total of more than 100 people evacuated.

In a note published on the official page of the municipality on the social network Facebook, the Chamber of Odemira revealed that the president, Hélder Guerreiro, determined the activation of the Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Plan, with effect at 2:30 pm on Sunday.

According to information from ANEPC, this fire mobilized by 08:55 today 573 operational personnel, supported by 205 vehicles, which will now be joined by nine air vehicles.

Ourém fire

In Ourém, in the district of Santarém, the fire that broke out on Sunday mobilized at 08:55 today 325 operational, supported by a hundred vehicles, to which five air means will be added.

Mangualde fire

As for the fire that broke out at dawn today in Mangualde, in the district of Viseu, commander José Miranda said that it should also be reinforced with air means, without specifying how many.

By 08:55, according to information available on the ANEPC website, 80 operators were involved in fighting the Mangualde fire, supported by 17 vehicles.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), more than 120 municipalities in the interior North and Center and in the districts of Beja and Faro are today at maximum danger of fire.

In view of the weather forecasts for the coming days, the Government is considering declaring an alert situation due to the high danger of rural fires, the Secretary of State for Civil Protection said today.