Two Canadair aircraft that will step up the fight against the fire that has been raging in Madeira for eight days are already on the island of Porto Santo. The two planes, which arrived from Malaga (Spain), landed in Porto Santo at around 12:00, where they will be provided with drinking water from the airport’s fire hydrants.
According to information provided on Wednesday by the Civil Protection Service, Canadairs is not due to start draining 5,000 litres of water until 1:30 p.m.
While it is not known exactly where the planes will be used, it is believed to be between Pico Ruivo and Pico das Torres, the area that is of greatest concern to firefighters.
In a note, the Department of Health and Civil Protection indicates that at 12:00 the fire was still active in the municipality of Santana, in the central mountain range (Pico Ruivo and Pico do Gado) and in the highlands of the municipality of Ponta do Sol (Lombada).
“There are more than a dozen objects on the ground, and from the air [helicóptero] and more than 125 operational personnel, consisting of personnel from all RAM fire departments. [Região Autónoma da Madeira]”Azores firefighters and special civil protection forces,” the statement said.
In Ponta do Sol, where special civil protection forces are concentrated, the fire remains on high ground “far from residential areas”.
“In the area between Pico Ruivo and Pico do Gado, the active front is branching out with low intensity and remains in a difficult to access area,” explains the Regional Secretariat, adding that more than a dozen men are assigned to the Santana and Santa Cruz Fire Departments.
The air environment concentrates activity in this particular place.
The fire has been burning for eight days and continues to burn in two active areas. The fire broke out on August 14 and has already forced 200 people to evacuate their homes.
Authorities ordered about 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 those in Fajã das Galinhas, in Camara de Lobos.
Fighting the blaze is being made difficult by wind and high temperatures, but no damage to homes or important infrastructure has been reported.
Author: Joao Fernandes And Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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