Portuguese firefighters work ‘non-stop’ as huge blaze rages across central Spain – Portugal Resident

Portuguese firefighters deployed to Spain are working around the clock to contain a vast wildfire that has already burned almost 50,000 hectares in Ávila – but commanders warn that conditions on the ground remain deeply unfavourable.

“The resources we have do not have the capacity to extinguish this fire,” commander David Lobato, who is leading the Portuguese contingent, told Lusa today.

“No matter how many aircraft we put over it, it is not enough. The water does not reach the ground because of the energy being released,” he said. “These are fires that have to be managed. They cannot be extinguished in the initial phase. We have to manage them and identify when we have the capacity — and the window of opportunity — to put them out.”

Spain has declared a national emergency in the provinces of Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, where neighbouring fires are effectively being fought as a single major incident. More than 90,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes or remain indoors since Thursday.

Portugal’s National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority initially announced the deployment of a 128-strong Joint Operational Force, known as FOCON, on Saturday. The contingent was subsequently reinforced to 134 personnel.

It includes command staff and members of the authority’s Special Civil Protection Force, firefighters from the Beiras and Serra da Estrela sub-region and officers from the GNR police emergency protection and rescue unit.

The team left Guarda yesterday and reached Ávila at around 10.30pm. Its operational base has been established in the city, with crews working farther south, close to the boundary with the Madrid region.

Half of the Portuguese contingent is deployed while the remainder rests, allowing operations to continue “24 hours a day — non-stop”, Lobato said.

Portuguese crews are currently helping to protect people, property and animals. Spanish authorities have also asked them to prevent the fire from crossing the M-501 road – a goal that has so far been achieved.

Although Lobato describes the situation as complicated, he said the conditions are not markedly different from those encountered during major wildfires in Portugal.

“We are talking about a large fire, with almost 50,000 hectares already burned, and with communities and villages within the fire area itself,” he said.

Some homes have been destroyed, although the blaze is primarily affecting forested land. Residents evacuated as a precaution are being housed in designated shelters.

“People are naturally anxious. They do not know what they will find when they return to their homes,” Lobato said. “That anxiety is always there, but they are safe.”

Higher humidity brought calmer conditions overnight from Saturday into Sunday, but forecasts for the coming days offer little cause for optimism. Temperatures are expected to rise as humidity falls and winds strengthen.

Firefighters must therefore continue containing and managing the blaze until conditions provide an opportunity to bring it under control.

SIC Notícias has also reported today that Portuguese animal rescue workers from IRA (Intervenção e Resgate Animal) are also on the ground, working hard to rescue farm animals that have been simply ‘left behind’. IRA’s president Tomás Pires explains: “The evacuation of the population was done very rapidly – and they are forbidden to return to collect or look for their animals.”

The majority of animals being rescued are sheep, goats and horses – a number already suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. IRA is gathering them up and transporting them to veterinary hospitals, says SIC.

sources: noticiasaominuto/ Lusa/ SIC Notícias