Rural Fire Samardã, Vila Real
Major Incident
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Registered: 21-08-2022 07:03
Estado: Under Resolution
Local: Samardã Freguesia: Adoufe E Vilarinho De Samardã
Concelho: Vila Real Distrito: Vila Real
Incêndio: Bush
N.º Oc. 2022170028739
UPDATE 1220 hrs
Fire remains under resolution
Deployment 316 operatives supported by 85 operatives
UPDATE 06:00, August 25th
In Resolution by midnight
Deployment 278 operatives supported by 77 vehicles.
UPDATE 2245 hrs
The fire remains active.
Deployment 370 operatives supported by 107 vehicles.
UPDATE 1600 hrs
Another reignition and the fire is now active again.
Current deployment 436 operatives supported by 123 vehicles and 6 aircraft.
Right now we have about 6,000 hectares of burned area. It’s a lot and it’s worrying, the damage is obviously considerable”, said Rui Santos, who was speaking to journalists at the command post installed in the village of Benagouro.
The mayor said that the damage had not yet been accounted for, namely the area of the Alvão Natural Park (PNA) affected, but highlighted the fact that no first-class home had been affected, nor had there been any relevant personal damage.
In combating this incident, seven were slightly injured, six firefighters and one civilian.
“Our concern, at the moment, is to maintain vigilance, to remain attentive and to be able, depending on what may arise, to react and control this fire until extinguishing”, he underlined.
UPDATE: 1130 hrs
Fire was brought underr resolution at 11.26 hrs
Deployment: 348 operatives supported by 97 vehicles and 2 aircraft.
UPDATE: 0915 hrs
The fire that has been raging since Sunday in Vila Real is now practically under control, there are still some “hot spots” that are being quelled by the operatives, and a day of “long work” of consolidation, aftermath and surveillance is expected.
“Fortunately, at the moment we have the fire practically under control, we still have some hot spots that are being extinguished with the collaboration of the operators in the field, supported by an extraordinary work of crawler machines”, said Miguel Fonseca, District Commander of Rescue Operations ( CODIS) from Vila Real.
One of these machines worked “all night” to help clear the front that resulted from the reactivation of late Tuesday afternoon and which put the villages of Relva, Outeiro and Cravelas at risk.
“Things are going favorably and we want to believe that, if we continue like this, we can soon give this event under control”, said the commander, in a situation report carried out at 08:00, at the command post installed in the village of Benagouro.
This day will be, he added, a “long work of consolidation, aftermath and also surveillance” and, for this purpose, a platoon of the Armed Forces is already on the ground, which will be reinforced by two more military platoons. Also the aerial means will be activated.
During this incident there were seven minor injuries, six firefighters and one civilian. The last case happened on Tuesday, during the fight against the reactivation, in which a firefighter from the Cruz Branca corporation, from Vila Real, was left with injuries resulting from a fall and was transported to the hospital.
Deployment 341 operatives supported by 99 vehicles
UPDATE 0830 hrs 24th August 2022
The fire that broke out on Sunday in Samarda suffered two “strong reactivations” on Tuesday afternoon.
The reactivations took place in the areas of Relva, in the Serra do Alvão area, and in Fortunho, in two completely opposite locations.
Deployment 350 operatives supported by 102 vehicles
UPDATE: 2130 hrs
The fire in Serra do Alvão, in Vila Real, gained intensity again, after this Tuesday afternoon the flames gave some respite to the operators on the ground. At least one firefighter was injured in the firefight, as reported by SIC reporter Manuela Carneiro.
By late afternoon on Tuesday, the fire was practically being subdued, after there was no sign of flames at the top of the mountain, the situation that had been considered most worrying during the day, but the wind picked up strength again. and quickly changed this scenario.
On the ground, the SIC team witnessed the moment when the flames put the firefighters’ vehicles at risk . In the escape, one of the firefighters suffered injuries in one of the legs.
Deployment 389 operatives and 115 vehicles
UPDATE: 1930 hrs
The fire in Serra do Alvão, in Vila Real, gained intensity again, after this Tuesday afternoon the flames gave some respite to the operators on the ground. At least one firefighter was injured in the firefight, as reported by SIC reporter Manuela Carneiro.
By late afternoon on Tuesday, the fire was practically being subdued, after there was no sign of flames at the top of the mountain, the situation that had been considered most worrying during the day, but the wind picked up strength again. and quickly changed this scenario.
On the ground, the SIC team witnessed the moment when the flames put the firefighters’ vehicles at risk . In the escape, one of the firefighters suffered injuries in one of the legs.
Deployment: 389 aircraft supported by 118 vehicles
UPDATE 1945 hrs
The fire remains active.
Deployment 392 operatives supported by 111 vehicles and 1 aircraft.
The fire on the slopes of the mountain was nearing completion this morning, but around 11 am, the flames started in an area of bush and difficult access, next to a wind farm.
There are more than 300 operatives on site and three planes and helicopters are helping to fight the flames.
Since Sunday, more than 4,500 hectares of forest and pine forest in the region have burned so far.
SITREP 1730 HRS
Copernicus Burned area Current as at 1730 hrs.
Fire remains active: 321 operatives deployed supported by 93 vehicles and 3 aircraft
UPDATE: 1325 hrs 23rd August 2022
The fire that broke out on Sunday at Samardã, in Vila Real, suffered a “strong reactivation” this Tuesday morning in the Alvão mountain area, with six aerial means being activated to fight it, according to Civil Protection.
It is an area of bush and difficult access, which develops next to a wind farm and where, according to the source of Civil Protection, “the winds are unfavourable”.
DEPLOYMENT: 344 operatives supported by 101 vehicles and 8 aircraft
SITREP 1200 hrs
The fire that broke out on Sunday at Samardã, in Vila Real, suffered a “strong reactivation” this Tuesday morning in the Alvão mountain area, with six aerial means being activated to fight it, according to Civil Protection.
After having entered the resolution phase early Monday night, the fire in Vila Real reactivated this morning, on top of the mountains, in an area of the village, Lamas de Olo , in the Alvão Natural Park.
It is an area of bush and difficult access, which develops next to a wind farm and where, according to the source of Civil Protection, “the winds are unfavourable.
A source from the municipal Civil Protection said that there was a “strong reactivation in the Alvão area” with the “unfavorable wind” complicating the situation. “The assets on the ground are being repositioned and the air assets are already in action”, he added.
At 11:30 am on Tuesday, there were 327 operational personnel on the ground, with the support of 98 vehicles and six air assets.
The fire started on Sunday, around 7 am, in Serra do Alvão, in the Samardã area. Pushed by the strong wind, it split into three fronts, which during the day of Monday began to consolidate.
The mayor of Vila Real, Rui Santos, had already warned of the possibility of re-ignitions, so he underlined “the need for people to continue to protect themselves and only leave their homes when absolutely necessary”.
UPDATE: 2205 hrs
SITREP 1100 hrs
Fire has re-ignigted and is now active.
Deployment; 322 operatives supported by 97 vehicles and 3 aircraft.
SITREP 2210 hrs
Fire at Resolution at 2200 hrs
Deployment 408 operatives supported by 119 operatives
The fire that broke out on Sunday in Samardã, Vila Real, has entered the resolution phase , but “a strong device” will remain on the ground in aftermath and surveillance operations, according to Civil Protection.
SITREP 1800 hrs
The mayor of Vila Real, Rui Santos, has just said that two of the active fronts are being consolidated, with the rest still progressing.
“We have about 550 men mobilized, seven air assets, 4,500 hectares burned. It is our expectation that, in the next two and a half, three days, these rekindlings can continue”, declared the mayor.
“The re-ignitions force us to constantly deploy assets,” he explained, adding that during the day the flames have essentially been fought by air assets.
During the approaching night, the wind intensity is expected to increase and, therefore, it is predicted “that the night will be complicated again”.
People with hoes, brooms and water hoses joined the firefighters to fight a fire that approached houses in the village of São Cosme, in Vila Real, this afternoon, after a reactivation.
Mauro Silva had a weed in his hand and reported moments of distress from Sunday at lunchtime until this afternoon, due to the fire that broke out in the Alvão mountain range, in the Samardã area, and has already burned about 4,000 hectares of woods and pine forests in the Vila Real municipality.
“I also had help yesterday (Sunday) and we have to help each other,” he said. First, the fire broke out near his house. This afternoon is on the other side of the village, having come close to dwellings.
The main hot spot is currently the village of Fortunho, parish of São Tomé do Castelo, where a dense area of pine forest burns.
A Civil Protection helicopter does reconnaissance of the area, where several operatives are.
This had already been one of the main flashpoints on Sunday.
SITREP 1300 HRS 22nd August 2022
This new post continues from yesterday’s post on the same fire.
The fire that broke out yesterday in Samardã, in the municipality of Vila Real, has already burned more than 4,500 hectares in a part of the Alvão Natural Park, which is what worries the authorities the most this Monday.
In a press conference, the national commander of Civil Protection, André Fernandes, indicated earlier this afternoon that, during the night, the means of fighting the flames managed to stop the fire front along the EN15, mentioning that the wind has “ made the operational work difficult”.
The official added that six minor injuries had been recorded so far, five of them operational and one civilian, and confirmed the number already advanced by the mayor of Guarda on the amount of territory consumed by the flames .
By 13:00 there were around 482 operational personnel, supported by 139 land assets and nine aircraft, including two planes sent by Greece, explained André Fernandes.
Map shows area currently affect – hotspots.
In a situation report made at 11:00 am to journalists at the command post, installed in the village of Benagouro, Rui Santos explained that there are “three fire fronts”.
The Vila Pouca de Aguiar front is in the consolidation phase, the Mouçós front is also in the consolidation phase. Evolving favorably, but still not in the consolidation phase, we have the front of Alvão (mountain).
Rui Santos said he was worried because “it is expected that the wind, especially after 3:00 pm, will gain some intensity” and because “the temperature is also rising”.
“ And we are concerned about the possibility of re-ignition ”, stressed Rui Santos, who pointed to, in a first assessment, a burned area that exceeds 4,000 hectares, mainly of forest and regeneration pine, due to other fires that affected this territory. in previous years.
UPDATE 1230 hrs
The mayor of Vila Real, Rui Santos, said that this Monday will be a day of hard work in the fire that has already burned 4,000 hectares in the municipality, expressing concern about the possibility of re-ignition.
In a situation report made at 11:00 am to journalists at the command post, installed in the village of Benagouro, Rui Santos explained that there are “three fire fronts”.
The Vila Pouca de Aguiar front is in the consolidation phase, the Mouçós front is also in the consolidation phase. Evolving favorably, but still not in the consolidation phase, we have the front of Alvão (mountain).
Rui Santos said he was worried because “it is expected that the wind, especially after 3:00 pm, will gain some intensity” and because “the temperature is also rising”.
“ And we are concerned about the possibility of re-ignition ”, stressed Rui Santos, who pointed to, in a first assessment, a burned area that exceeds 4,000 hectares, mainly of forest and regeneration pine, due to other fires that affected this territory. in previous years.
According to the mayor, at 11:00 am, 440 operational and 130 vehicles and seven air assets were mobilized to the site, including the two Greek planes that are in Portugal under the European support mechanism.
In view of what is expected for the afternoon, we keep an alert and the alert is for people to continue to protect themselves, do not leave the house or only leave the house only when absolutely necessary, because what we are realizing is that there are people who they want to see the fire and come to complicate life a lot for those who have to fight it.
Deployment: 466 operatives supported by 135 vehicles and 5 aircraft.
UPDATE 1100 HRS
The fire that broke out on Sunday in Samardã, Vila Real, continues this morning with three fronts, one of which is of greater concern, and mobilizes 451 operatives, supported by 180 vehicles and 8 aircraft.
“The fire remains active, with three fronts, although one of them presents greater concern, which is this front that develops on the Alvão ridge [serra]”, said the district commander of relief operations (CODIS) of Vila Real. , Miguel Fonseca.
In a situation report made at 08:00, at the command post installed near the village of Benagouro, the official said that one of the other fronts is “in consolidation, practically all closed and in the aftermath process”, and a third, facing the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, is also “practically entering a consolidation process”.
“We expect it to be a difficult day, not least because the fire area is quite large, there are still many hot spots”, he said.
CODIS said that the air assets that this morning will be engaged in this fire will be “an important piece to reinforce the work of land assets” and so that “as soon as possible, the consolidation processes can be closed, as well as quickly quelling this front” which is still active.”
The fire has already burned a vast area of bush and some pine forest and which, on Sunday, endangered several villages in the municipality of Vila Real.
UPDATE: 0745 hrs
At that time, three fronts were active, which were burning with “lower intensity” and the villages that were most concerned were out of danger, according to Civil Protection.
“Taking into account the commitment of the means throughout the day, combined now with the improvement of weather conditions, the three fronts are burning with less intensity. fire, out of danger” said the District Commander of Relief Operations (CODIS) of Vila Real, Miguel Fonseca.
In a situation report made at 00:00, at the command post installed near the village of Benagouro, the official said that this “allows us to focus on direct combat to these three fronts that are active”.
Deployment 437 operatives supported by 437 operatives and 127 vehicles
UPDATE: 0300 hrs 22nd August 2022
Fire remains active
Deployment 496 operatives supported by 141 vehicles
UPDATE: 2230 hrs
Deployment 447 operatives supported by 129 vehicles.
The District Commander of Relief Operations (CODIS) of Vila Real, Miguel Fonseca, said that the priority of the operatives, at this moment, is to “protect populations and housing”.
According to the official, at 8 pm the villages that caused the most concern and where the media were positioned were Sanguinhedo, Felgueiras, Fortunho and São Tomé do Castelo.
UPDATE: 2030 hrs
Deployment 400 operatives supported by 115 vehicles
UPDATE: 1850
The mayor of Vila Real, Rui Santos, appealed to the population to protect themselves due to the fire that broke out today in Samardã, Serra do Alvão, and is raging on three fronts with great intensity.
“And with the approach of night, I leave here an appeal. It is not possible for the GNR, the firefighters, the PSP, the ICNF to be on all sides at the same time, the fronts are multiple and I leave here an appeal to the population to protect themselves, to be very careful, very careful never, under any circumstances, to put your life at risk and to, whenever possible, also protect your belongings”, said Rui Santos, at a fire situation at 18:00.
The mayor stressed that, with the approach of night, his concern “is great”.
“I see that human resources and material resources are finite, the extent of this fire is, as you can see, brutal, the wind blows at a very high speed and in different directions, the conditions are favorable for the fire to advance. reinforcing an appeal for everyone to be careful”, he underlined.
The mayor said that there are three fire fronts, one on the way to the municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar, another in the parish of São Tomé do Castelo e Justes and another still on the way to the city of Vila Real.
“There are some villages that deserve a lot of concern, the night is approaching, the air resources have been finding it difficult to act with precision, not least because the smoke does not allow it”, he said, adding that they are “prepared for all scenarios , if evacuations are necessary”.
According to Rui Santos, this “fire started early in the morning, with four ignition points, had an initial front of about three kilometres, a very, very fast progression”.
“Meteorological conditions, such as wind, heat, but also very dry materials allowed this fire to grow with unprecedented speed”, he stressed.
According to the website of the National Emergency and Protection Authority (ANEPC), at 18:30, 365 operational personnel, 106 vehicles and two air assets were mobilized.
“The means never arrive, given the dimension of this problem, but they are the means we have, the means are finite. And we are all Civil Protection agents. protect ourselves and this is already an important help for those who work with the fire to be able to focus on what is their main function, which is to extinguish the fire”, he stressed.
UPDATE 1830
Road closures shown in comments WAZE
UPDATE: 1700 hrs
According to a source from the GNR, due to the fire and as a precaution, the A24 was cut to traffic between the junctions of São Tomé do Castelo and Vila Pouca de Aguiar, while the National Road 2 (EN2), which was also cut due to this fire. , has already reopened.
The fire that started in the area of Samardã, Serra do Alvão, in Vila Real, “advances at great speed” due to the very strong wind that is felt, having led to the interruption of Highway A24
“It is advancing with great speed, the wind is not helping the firefighters and the Civil Protection in its containment”, the mayor of Vila Real, Rui Santos, told the Lusa agency.
UPDATE 1500 hrs
The flames threaten several houses and a service station. National Road 2 was cut to facilitate the movement of operatives on the ground.
Deployment 243 operatives supported by 70 vehicles and 4 aircraft.
SITREP Deployment
205 operative supported by 56 vehicles and 4 aircraft
More than 120 operatives are fighting a rural fire that broke out this morning in the town of Samardã, district of Vila Real, said a source from the District Relief Operations Command (CDOS).
According to information provided to Lusa, “there is still no information on threatened houses or blocked roads”, just some conditioning for the circulation of operational vehicles. The same source from CDOS in Vila Real also mentioned that there are villages close to this occurrence and that “access is difficult” to the bush area that is on fire.
A restaurant was evacuated in the town of Vilarinho de Samardã, around lunchtime this Sunday.
