The fire is already the biggest of this summer in Portugal, having consumed the Unesco world geopark in the Serra da Estrella mountain area, at an altitude of almost 2,000 meters.
More than 1,500 Portuguese firefighters they are still today fighting for the extinction of forestry fire which has been raging for nearly a week in the central country, destroying nearly 100,000 acres of vegetation within a national forest.
“There is still an active front that worries us,” at the junction of the municipalities of Guarda and Celorico da Beira, announced a commander of the Civil Protection service, Miguel Cruz, during a press briefing.
“The rest of the perimeter is more stable,” he added, clarifying that the work on the ground of the firefighters is supported by 15 helicopters and firefighting aircraft, including a Spanish Canadair.
The fire is already the biggest of this summer in Portugal, having consumed the Unesco world geopark in the Serra da Estrella mountain area, at an altitude of almost 2,000 meters.
After the fire broke out in the municipality of Covilha, it spread northwards to the municipalities of Manteigas, Gouveia, Guarda and then to Celorico da Beira.
The fires have caused “irreparable damage” by destroying “unique” forest areas, the president of environmental association Zero, Francisco Ferreira, told public broadcaster RTP.
As the administration of the Civil Protection agency comes under repeated criticism for its management of operations, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said today that he would like to know “what should have been done so that the fire did not reach such proportions”.
A week ago, this forest fire caused the injury of 15 people among the firefighters as well as the temporary removal of 20 residents from their homes.
Portugal, which is experiencing an unprecedented drought this year, also had its warmest July in almost 100 years.
Since the start of the year, nearly 780,000 acres have been reduced to ash, the heaviest toll since the deadly wildfires of 2017 that left nearly 100 dead, according to the Forest and Nature Conservancy.
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