Roads between Poisson and Pico do Areiro have been closed to traffic due to a fire raging on the island of Madeira, with access to the Paul da Serra plateau remaining impassable, the regional government said on Tuesday.
According to the Regional Roads Directorate, “section ER (regional road) 202 between Poisson and Pico do Areiro (between the municipalities of Santana and Câmara de Lobos) and section ER 218 were closed to traffic between Pico das Pedras and Achada do Teixeira,” in the municipality of Santana, in the north of the island.
In a note, the regional leadership indicated that these closures were defined “as a precautionary measure” and that “the ER 105 road between Serra d’Água and Encumeada has been reopened to traffic” in the municipality of Ribeira Brava.
The Department of Estradas also states that the regional access roads to Paul da Serra, the largest and most extensive plateau on the island of Madeira, with an area of 24 square kilometres at an altitude of about 1,500 metres, are located in the municipality of Ponta do Sun.
The ER 105 road is therefore closed in the sections connecting Porta da Vila and Encumeada with Paul da Serra, the ER 209 road between Ribeira da Janela and the plateau extending to Malhadinha, and the ER 210 road between Prazeres and Fonte of Bishop.
The fire that has been raging in Madeira since Wednesday remains active and at 5pm on Tuesday there were “two theatres of action” located in the parishes of Serra de Água and Curral das Freiras, the Regional Civil Protection Service (SRPC) said.
A rural fire in Madeira broke out on Wednesday in the Ribeira Brava mountains, spreading to the municipality of Camara de Lobos the following day and to the municipality of Ponta do Sol over the weekend.
During these seven days, authorities ordered almost 200 people to leave their homes as a precaution and set up community reception centres, but many residents have already returned, with the exception of Fajã das Galinhas in Câmara de Lobos and Furna in Ribeira Brava.
The firefighting effort was made more difficult by the winds and high temperatures, but there was no evidence of damage to homes or vital infrastructure. A firefighter was hospitalized for exhaustion, but there were no further injuries.
According to forecasts from the European Forest Fire Information System, cited by the regional government, seven thousand hectares are burning.
The Judicial Police is investigating the cause, but the President of the Executive Power of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, maintains that it was arson.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.