The fire in the Serra de Agua mountains in the Madeiran municipality of Ribeira Brava has been extinguished and people evacuated on Sunday are returning to their homes, the president of the local parish council said today.
“The fire is out, there are no active fronts in sight, the situation is now under observation,” Albertina Ferreira told Lusa early this morning.
The mayor added that she is now waiting for “the cleanup process to begin and possibly the creation of a crisis office” and is awaiting instructions.
“People have returned home as much as possible, but some have already returned,” he said.
A rural fire broke out on Wednesday in the Ribeira Brava mountains. The following day, the virus spread to the neighboring municipality of Câmara de Lobos and over the weekend to the municipality of Ponta do Sol, on the Paul da Serra plateau. In this municipality, it is also active today in the territory of Lombada.
Due to the seriousness of the situation and according to the latest report from the regional government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, at the end of Sunday a total of 160 people had to leave their homes as a precaution and be transported to public places to avoid inhaling fumes.
On Sunday at 19:00, 195 firefighters were fighting the fire in the affected municipalities, supported by 38 vehicles and the air force available in the region, including 76 members of the joint force of the National Directorate of Emergencies and Civil Protection, who arrived in Madeira in the early hours of Sunday.
Early this morning, 15 operatives provided by the Autonomous Region of the Azores also arrived in the region.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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