Portugal fire update: More than 3,200 firefighters battle major blazes


The national commander of Civil Protection, Mário Silvestre, indicated in the fire situation report for mainland Portugal that as of 12:30 p.m. today, 28 incidents had been recorded, 22 of which started at night, that is, between midnight and 8:00 a.m.

"At this moment, across the country, we have nine incidents that are of greatest concern," he indicated, listing: Trancoso (Serra da Estrela), Vila Boa (Sátão), Piódão (Arganil), Candal (Lousã), Pêra do Moço (Guarda), Poiares (Freixo de Espada à Cinta), Aldeia de Santo António (Sabugal), Sortelha (Sabugal), and Vilarinho (Tarouca). According to the Central Regional Command, the Sátão and Trancoso fires have merged on the ground, but the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) continues to report the data separately.

According to Mário Silvestre, "there are 28 incidents in the resolution, completion, and surveillance phases, which are currently involving 703 personnel, 216 vehicles, and 12 aircraft."

In this situation update, held at ANEPC headquarters in Carnaxide (Oeiras, Lisbon district), Mário Silvestre also urged the public to exercise caution when parking vehicles in fire zones, as this could disrupt firefighters' movement.

When asked about reports of problems with Portugal's Integrated Emergency and Safety Network System (SIRESP), the commander noted that there had been "some reports of isolated communication failures," but emphasized that "as of today, there are no reports of anomalies in the SIRESP network."

One of the most complicated situations in firefighting is the fire that has been raging since Friday in the municipality of Sabugal, in the district of Guarda, which has a front of approximately 10 kilometers.

The fire that has been raging for five days in Arganil maintains an active front in the area between the towns of Porto Castanheiro and Relvas, and efforts are underway to contain it, the mayor said today.

Meanwhile, the Sátão and Trancoso fires are nearly stabilized, but with a front in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, and poor visibility is preventing aircraft from operating there.

This fire originated as two fires – Sátão (Viseu district) and Trancoso (Guarda district) – and on Friday became a single fire, spreading across 11 municipalities in both districts.

Mainland Portugal has been affected by multiple rural fires since July, especially in the North and Central regions, amid high temperatures that led to the declaration of a state of alert, in effect until Sunday.

The fires caused one death and several injuries, most of them minor, and completely or partially destroyed first and second homes, as well as farms, livestock, and forested areas.

Portugal activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which two Fire Boss aircraft are expected to arrive on Monday to reinforce firefighting efforts.

According to provisional official data, as of August 16, 139,000 hectares had been burned in the country, 17 times more than in the same period in 2024. Almost half of this area was consumed in just two days this week.