Latest news and stories about wildfires in legal in Portugal for expats and residents.
There are currently six active forest fires in northern Portugal, with the situation in Arouca being the most worrying for authorities.
More than 100 personnel and three aircraft are currently fighting a wildfire in the Pedra Bela area of the Peneda-Gerês National Park (Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês). Authorities from the Cávado Sub-regional Command for Emergency and Civil Protection (Comando Sub-regional de Emergência e Proteção Civil do Cávado) report that no homes are currently at risk. The fire broke out Saturday afternoon in the municipality of Terras de Bouro, involving multiple fire brigades and the GNR.
Update: Wildfire in Peneda-Gerês National Park brought under control
Emergency services have brought the fire in Terras de Bouro under control (dominado), with the status downgraded to the resolution phase (resolução) as of Sunday afternoon. While 81 personnel and 22 vehicles remain on-site for mop-up operations (rescaldo), the immediate threat to the national park has subsided. One aerial asset was used throughout the morning to douse remaining hotspots in difficult-to-access terrain.
The Peneda-Gerês National Park (Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês) is Portugal's only national park, covering over 70,000 hectares across the Viana do Castelo, Braga, and Vila Real districts. Established in 1971, it is known for its granite peaks, oak forests, and traditional stone villages like Lindoso and Soajo. For residents and visitors, it offers extensive hiking trails and protected habitats for wild Garrano horses and wolves.
Recent analyses confirm that human-induced climate change has increased the likelihood of major wildfires in Spain by twentyfold, resulting in significant displacement and destruction.
Portugal is grappling with a severe wildfire crisis fueled by extreme heat and multiple active fronts, leading to an extended state of alert while the country simultaneously deploys personnel to assist with firefighting efforts in Spain.
A wildfire originating in Vouzela has spread to Águeda, causing injuries, isolating communities, and forcing evacuations, while residents express frustration over the recurring nature of these incidents.
Nine aerial firefighting units are currently deployed to combat the fires in Proença-a-Nova.
The fires occurred on three consecutive days during a week of extreme heat. At least one of the fires was started at 4:00 AM.
The Civil Protection agency is reviewing the response to the fire that affected Torre de Moncorvo and Carrazeda de Ansiães, after residents reported failures in firefighting efforts.
Data shows that over 50,000 fire incidents were recorded in Portugal within a five-year period.
One of the men is suspected of starting at least five forest fires in Moura Morta, while the other is suspected of starting a forest fire using wax candles in Sabrosa.
The fires reached the point of threatening several villages.
The Vila Real Judicial Police (PJ) arrested a 53-year-old man. The investigation, which began on July 25, is examining 15 fires in the Moura Morta area that share the same method.
The fires were allegedly caused by the use of direct flame on dry vegetation in locations integrated with or adjacent to forest areas and agricultural land, situated near residential properties.
The wildfires in the municipalities of Abrantes and Santa Marta de Penaguião have reached the resolution stage.
The two major wildfires that broke out this Saturday have been brought under control after five hours of firefighting efforts.
An update on the status of ongoing forest fires across Portugal as of 11:00 PM.
This concerns the accident involving four operatives from the Arouca volunteer fire department early Wednesday morning, when the vehicle they were travelling in, while en route to firefighting operations, fell into a 150-metre-deep ravine.
The fires were allegedly started “using a direct flame, with no apparent motive, near a rural path with scattered residential housing.”
The Judicial Police identified the youth with the collaboration of the GNR. The fires were started on August 18th and the second was extinguished by locals and firefighters.
The mayor also mentioned that the flames reached pasture areas and apiaries, and that crawler tractors knocked down walls.
The fire in Arouca, Aveiro district, was reduced to one active front shortly after 5 am, according to fire department sources. Four firefighters were seriously injured in a road accident while responding to the scene. Meanwhile, other fires in Boticas, Chaves, Alijó, Torre de Moncorvo, and Santo Tirso are being managed, with nearly 1,000 personnel deployed across mainland Portugal.
Incidents remain concentrated in the northern part of the country. In Arouca, a fire brings together more than 500 personnel.
Two hours of active wildfires in the municipalities of Arouca and Boticas, with firefighting operations currently showing positive progress.
The district with the most rural fires was Porto, but Vila Real has the largest burnt area. Arson is the second most frequent cause.
Since the beginning of the year, approximately 270 firefighters have been injured while on duty, averaging more than one injury per day in operational theatres. This was revealed on Wednesday (August 19) by the president of the Portuguese Firefighters League (LBP), António Nunes, following an incident in Arouca where four firefighters were injured, three of them seriously, after their vehicle went off the road. Nunes noted that while the number of injuries has increased, it correlates with a higher volume of interventions and more aggressive forest fires, which are becoming more intense and complex to manage. He also highlighted that with thousands of firefighters deployed daily, incidents ranging from exhaustion and sprains to smoke inhalation are becoming more frequent.
More than 1,300 personnel are fighting the main fires in Portugal this Wednesday morning
Over a thousand firefighters were engaged at 8:00 AM in combating the four largest active wildfires in Northern Portugal. According to the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), the fires in Torre de Moncorvo, Arouca, and Santo Tirso are the most significant. Operations throughout the night, including the use of heavy machinery and suppression fire, have helped stabilize some fronts, though aerial support is being deployed this morning. A separate incident involving a vehicle rollover in Arouca resulted in four injured firefighters, requiring a temporary diversion of resources.
Four members of the Arouca Volunteer Fire Department were injured after their vehicle crashed while heading to a difficult-to-access area near the wildfire that remains active in the municipality. The fire has mobilised hundreds of personnel and has several active fronts.
The Portuguese tennis player now joins Nuno Borges in the next stage of the competition. Additionally, a young Portuguese man was murdered last night on a beach in Albania.
