Three aircraft deployed as crews tackle scrubland blaze in Lagoa – Portugal Resident
Update (6.45pm): The wildfire has now been placed in “em resolução” status, indicating it is under control, although 38 firefighters, supported by 12 fire engines, remain at the scene to extinguish hotspots and secure the perimeter.
Firefighters have reinforced their response to a wildfire that broke out late afternoon today (July 31) in the parish of Estômbar e Parchal, in the municipality of Lagoa.
According to the latest information from the national wildfire monitoring platform Fogos.pt, the fire started at 4.45pm in an area of scrubland (mato) near Estômbar. A first alert was issued at 4.55pm, prompting a rapid deployment of ground and aerial resources.
By 5.18pm, the response had increased to 45 firefighters, supported by 11 fire engines and three aerial firefighting aircraft.
The area is currently classified as being under elevated wildfire risk. At the time of the latest update, weather conditions included a temperature of 25.4ºC, 61% humidity and southwesterly winds of 7.6 km/h.
Authorities have not yet released information on the cause of the fire, the size of the affected area or whether any homes are threatened.
The incident comes as Portugal continues to battle several significant wildfires, particularly in the north of the country, where hundreds of firefighters remain deployed on major blazes in Vila Real district. Nationally, 35 wildfires were active on Friday afternoon, mobilising more than 1,600 firefighters, almost 500 vehicles and 21 aircraft, according to the independent monitoring platform Fogos Agora, which compiles data from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC).
The Resident will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.
