A wildfire in Monção is progressing toward Santo André with three active fronts, making it the most concerning blaze in the Alto Minho region of northern Portugal.
The fire broke out at 7:25 p.m. in the parishes of Barrocas and Taias within the Monção municipality. By 10:40 p.m., the District Relief Operations Command of Alto Minho identified it as the region's top priority.
A spokesperson for the command said the flames were moving toward Santo André, which sits within the Viana do Castelo district. The command confirmed that no homes were at risk and no injuries had been reported among residents or firefighters.
According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, 55 operatives and 15 vehicles were fighting the fire by 11:30 p.m. Alto Minho is a subregion in the northwest of Portugal known for its rural and heavily forested landscapes.
Arcos de Valdevez blaze
Another fire is burning in the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez, also in the Viana do Castelo district.
Mayor Olegário Gonçalves said the blaze started at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday in the parish of Rio Frio. By 11:30 p.m., the fire had two active fronts and was burning through scrubland. Gonçalves, a Social Democrat, said that no homes were threatened.
Emergency services have deployed 121 operatives and 37 vehicles to contain the Arcos de Valdevez fire. Scrubland fires are common in rural Portugal, where dry vegetation can fuel rapid spread.
Other regional fires
Elsewhere, emergency services have prepared the Arouca Secondary School pavilion to serve as a rotating rest facility for 450 operatives deployed to combat wildfires.
In the city of Aveiro, firefighters have brought a separate blaze under control.
A fire in the Torre de Moncorvo municipality caused agricultural damage and spread fear among the local population.
