ANEPC have reported that the fire has now reactivated in an ACTIVE state

The fire which had been under surveillance since 19.14 hrs yesterday has reignited and is now in an active state.

A total of 266 operatives 83 vehicles and 4 helicopters are deployed

Richard Marques, operational commander of the Algarve, explained that this reactivation took place “in the Pereira zone”, but ended up being dominated by the media.

This was an “expected” situation, due to the weather conditions.

Four air assets were eventually called back to the theater of operations to help defeat this reactivation, with 254 operational vehicles and 80 vehicles also on site.

LATEST 18TH JULY 2021 2130 HRS

At a press conference at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portimão, the Faro District Operational Commander for Civil Protection, Richard Marques, said that the means would still remain on the ground to “consolidate the affected area”, which amounts to “two thousand hectares within a perimeter of 24 square kilometers”.

The fire has been brought to a Conclusion

During today, and despite the intensity of the wind, which reached gusts of 50 kph, “there were no reactivations with great expression” and those that existed were “promptly resolved by the device on the ground: 426 operational, supported by 143 vehicles , four aerial means and five track machines.

Richard Marques revealed that the weather forecast for Monday is “similar to today”, with the wind blowing with some intensity, which forces the demobilization to “be gradual” with income from the means of the region to “recover” the initial attack capacity in new situations, “fundamental” to maintain the rapid response to rural fires in the Algarve.

“This Monday there will still be means and resources on the ground throughout the day, with a reassessment of the demobilization plan,” he assumed.

The Faro District Operational Commander for Civil Protection recalled that “there were no registered “any victims of the fire” and that the residents have already returned to their homes.

In all, “68 people” were displaced from their homes, having “21 spent the night at the Center for Concentration and Support to the Population in Portimão Arena”, however disabled, and “85 animals” were also welcomed.

Regarding the extent of the damage, the representative of the Guarda Nacional Republica present at the press conference revealed that it was “essentially damage to some warehouses supporting agricultural activity and some dozens of end-of-life vehicles”, namely in the area of ​​origin of the fire .

PREVIOUS UPDATE 1200 HRS

The people who were displaced from their homes this Saturday, 17 July, due to the fire in the municipalities of Monchique and Portimão, have already returned to their homes, has just announced the operational district commander of Algarve Richard Marques.

In a situation report carried out at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, the official explained that the population support zone, installed in Portimão Arena, “was deactivated during the morning”, having “proceeded to the return of people to their homes”.

In total, 68 people were displaced, with support from the GNR, with 21 sleeping in Portimão Arena. In addition, 85 animals were also removed.

Also present at the press conference, Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão, explained that everything “went very well” at Portimão Arena.

“People were very comfortable, had breakfast and returned to their homes,” he said.

The fire, which broke out yesterday, the 17th, around lunchtime, was declared to be under control at 7:15 am today, the 18th, and Richard Marques explained that there was an “incisive action” during the night, which allowed this outcome.

Now, the actions are taking place in the aftermath, on a day that will have a «weather scenario similar to yesterday», although «some wind intensification» can already be noticed, which could reach gusts of “57 kilometers per hour”.

For this reason, the device “will remain on the ground”, not least because “we will certainly register, in a fire of this magnitude, several reactivations that it is important to respond immediately”.

Rui André, mayor of Monchique, even spoke of the “importance of this moment and the next few hours”.

In total, around 2,000 hectares were burned, 211 of eucalyptus, 242 of scrubland, 20 of pasture, 131 of cork oaks, 21 of stone pines and 25 of agricultural land.

Richard Marques revealed, at this press conference, that as of this Monday, 19 July, forms will be available on the websites of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Fisheries, so that farmers «can report possible damage’.

UPDATE 18TH JULY 2021 0730 HRS

The FIRE IS NOW at a RESOLUTION STAGE

This means Fire with no danger of spreading beyond the perimeter already reached.

UPDATE 23.59 HRS

A source from the Faro District Command for Relief Operations (CDOS) made an assessment at midnight of the situation to Lusa, stating that the two fronts are maintained, one in the municipality of Monchique and the other in Portimão, and that the fight against the flames is being reinforced.

“Right now reinforcements are arriving from other districts and are being deployed in the area,” the source said, adding that it is expected that with the decrease in the wind, from the early hours of today, it will be possible to control the fire.

The source stressed that in the municipality of Portimão, in the line of flames, there are several villages and scattered houses, but guaranteed that “the means are in place” and that sensitive places are identified and protected.

As at 2230 hrs a total of 352 operatives are deployed supported by over 100 vehicles. Arial means have been withdrawn overnight.

Speaking to the Lusa agency, the mayor, Rui André, said that the situation in his county is currently “quiet”, with the means being concentrated in the neighbouring municipality of Portimão, where the flames “consume a waste warehouse and are close to housing”.

“Fire continues to plow over a very large area, it has evolved a lot. It was necessary to affect resources with the populations and at the moment the greatest concern is in Portimão, next to the racecourse”, he referred.

With regard to the municipality of Monchique, the mayor said that there are no houses at risk, with the fire consuming only “small agricultural support structures”.

“Agricultural support houses, tents, small constructions. Nothing serious. Things are calmer, although we are vigilant and with the intervention of tracking machines we are managing to stop the advance of the flames”, he explained.

UPDATE 2100 hrs

Newsroom, 17 July 2021 (Lusa) – The fire that broke out this afternoon in Monchique, in the Algarve, and spread to the neighboring municipality of Portimão, forced the displacement of 30 people and threatens localities such as Vidigal Velho or Alcalar, according to a survey by Protection Civil.

In a press conference at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portimão, the Faro District Operational Commander for Civil Protection, Richard Marques, said that the fire spreads on two fronts, one to the north, in the municipality of Monchique, less worrying because there is no housing at risk, and another to the south, is more worrying because there are several population agglomerates.

The fire that is raging today in the municipalities of Monchique and Portimão is currently on two active fronts and the authorities want to use the dawn as a window of opportunity to try to dominate it, said the commander of operations, Richard Marques.

In a press conference at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portimão, the Faro District Operational Commander for Civil Protection, Richard Marques, said that the south-east front, working in the area of ​​the racecourse, is the one that mobilizes the most resources for being to drive to areas of population agglomerations, such as Vidigal Velho and Alcalar, but that the existing fuel management lanes have “been used and helped to reduce the intensity of the fire”.

The north-west front, closer to the ignition location, does not yet have “sensitive points” (houses), being “contradicted by the direction of the wind”, but any change could lead to “greater precaution”, since if it gains strength, it can head for the mountain range, which is being fought mostly by “air and trail machines”, he warned.

As there is still no quantification of the burnt area, the commander revealed that the fire reached “a significant dimension right at the beginning”, a consequence of the meteorological situation at the site, and its size forced a “dispersion of resources on the ground” with a “reinforcement significant” throughout the day.

The wind is the biggest challenge for the operational, as it has different intensities and directions, which forced “constant adjustments in the dynamics of firefighting”.

So far, 30 people have been removed from their homes in the Aldeia da Pereira area, 12 of them housed in a residential structure for unlicensed elderly people and sent to a support area created in Portimão Arena.

At 2115 hrs Fighting the flames are 353 operational, with 112 vehicles and one aircraft

According to the commander, 30 people were moved to Portimão, as a precaution, 12 of them from an unlicensed home in the town of Pereira, Mexilhoeira Grande, and the rest from “two to three houses”.

The fire, which broke out after 13:00, has “a significant dimension” that forced the dispersal of resources, he added.

The wind, he explained, is being the biggest challenge in fighting fire.

Moreover, in terms of means, until sunset, seven air resources continue to operate – four planes and three helicopters -, which are spread over the vast area affected by the two fire fronts..

There are also 317 operational, supported by 97 vehicles, from various fire brigades throughout the Algarve (and beyond), but also forest sappers and the special body of the GNR.

UPDATE 1730 hrs

When the alert was given, there were no houses in danger. However, the Renaissance confirmed that the flames advanced too quickly and put some homes in danger.

A nursing home in Pereira, in the municipality of Portimão, with 12 users, was evacuated as a precaution.

Faro’s Relief Operations Command Center (CDOS) also said that two houses had been pre-emptively evacuated. A total of 20 people were evacuated.

Both the Faro CDOS and the mayor of Portimão, Isilda Gomes, from PS, confirmed to the Renaissance that the fire had spread to the municipality of Portimão (south of Monchique).

UPDATE 1620 HRS

According to the Faro District Relief Operations Command Centre (CDOS) the “intensity of wind” that is felt at the site and the “large dimension” that the fire took “very quickly” are the biggest constraints to the work of the operational in the ground.

The biggest concern is focused on the fire front that will progress south towards the Algarve International Autodrome, said the same source, adding that “there are no houses in danger” and no roads were cut.  (Photo Joyce Hart)

Sources indicate that the fire is moving in the general direction of the Bravura Dam.

Number of operatives increased to 216 supported 64 vehicles and 8 aerial means. Now past the initial attack stage. Two Canadair twin engine float planes have joined attack.

At 4:00 pm, there were 231 operational personnel on the ground, supported by 70 vehicles, nine air assets and four track machines.

The SIC reporter at the scene, João Tiago, said that the fire split in two and spread to the municipality of Portimão. Rui André, mayor of Monchique, told SIC that the fire is “very close” to housing and some agricultural support structures that have already been consumed by the flames.

Reports are several people have been evacuated from their homes by the GNR as a precautionary measure and some vehicles have been consumed by fire.

SITUATION REPORT 17TH JULY 1440 HRS

A bush fire has been registered at the ANEPC at 1326 hrs today.

The location of the fire is at 37.259825,-8.658522

Currently there are 98 operatives supported by 24 vehicles and 7 aircraft/helicopter fighting the fire.

The fire is located in an isolated hilly area to the north west of the Autodromo, shown in the small green area bottom right of photo..

If anyone has photos please feel free to post with what time they were taken and where from. Thank you.

Fire risk in the area today is maximum.

Photo courtesy: Claudia Dunselman (taken around 1400 hrs) at distant and CMTV with fire truck

PLEASE NOTE SMOKE HAZZARD:

There appears to be a great deal of smoke from photos we have received heading a SE/SSE direction or there abouts. If this increases, DGS advice is to stay indoors and keep doors and windows tightly closed, reducing air intake from outside. Please note that the smoke can drift many kms but the fire is still a long distance away