According to civil protection, Canadiar aircraft helping to extinguish the fire raging on the island of Madeira continue to concentrate on the central mountain range this Friday, while a helicopter will operate in Ponta do Sol.
“In the central mountain range, Canadair aircraft will continue to unload cargo to prevent the spread of the fire that is spreading along Pico Ruivo,” in the municipality of Santana, the Regional Civil Protection Service (SRPC) said in a statement.
At 9:30 a.m., regional authorities also said that the focus on Ponta do Sol, which remains “far from residential areas,” would rely on helicopters to deal with the fire that has been raging for 10 days on the island of Madeira.
“In Ponta do Sol, the fire remains localized in the higher ground, away from residential areas, with the Air Force (H-35) making airdrops to contain the flames while field operators work to control the spread and protect homes,” the press release said.
On Thursday afternoon, two Canadair aircraft, requested by the Portuguese government from the European Union, had already carried out airdrops on the fire in Madeira, supplementing the actions of the SRPC helicopter, the only air resource available in the Madeira archipelago.
According to the Civil Protection, about 70 firefighters and more than a dozen vehicles have been mobilized to put out the fire, which continues to burn in the central mountain range (Pico Ruivo) and in Ponta do Sol (Lombada).
Firefighting also relies on the combined operational forces (FOCON) and air support from a helicopter and two Canadair aircraft.
The Regional Civil Protection Service (RCPS) promises to “coordinate efforts to maximize combat effectiveness, ensure the safety of the population and teams on the ground.”
Early on Friday morning, the SRPC president told Lusa that the fire was still active in the island’s central mountain range, while the situation was improving in the municipality of Ponta do Sol on one of the fire’s flanks.
According to António Nunes, one of the flanks is still active, more or less as on Thursday, without major events and in a moderate form.
As for the island’s central mountain range, António Nunes noted that the actions of two Canadair aircraft and a helicopter on Thursday apparently helped contain the fire.
The rural fire on the island of Madeira broke out on August 14 in the mountains of the municipality of Ribeira Brava and gradually spread to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol and through Pico Ruivo Santana.
Authorities have ordered about 200 people to leave their homes as a precaution and have set up community reception centres, but many residents have already returned, with the exception of those in Fajã das Galinhas, in Camara de Lobos. The firefighting effort has been hampered by wind and high temperatures, but there are no reports of homes or important infrastructure being destroyed.
Some firefighters were treated for exhaustion or minor injuries without further injury.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System, the area of burnt areas exceeds 5,002 hectares.
The Judicial Police are investigating the cause of the fire, but the President of the Executive Power of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, said it was arson.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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