Almost 30 municipalities in six districts are in the zone of maximum fire danger

Nearly 30 municipalities in Faro, Castelo Branco, Santarem, Coimbra, Portalegre and Guarda pose the highest risk of rural fires on Tuesday, according to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

IPMA predicts a maximum temperature of 36 degrees in Santarém, 35 in Évora, 34 in Leiria and 33 in Castelo Branco and Beja.

According to the Institute, more than 70 municipalities in Faro, Beja, Leiria, Santarem, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Guarda, Coimbra, Viseu, Vila Real and Bragança are currently in very high fire danger.

Several municipalities in all areas of mainland Portugal, with the exception of Viana do Castelo, pose a fire hazard.

According to IPMA, the risk of fire will remain high until at least Thursday.

The fire danger defined by IPMA has five levels, from minimum to maximum.

Calculations are made based on air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and precipitation over the past 24 hours.

On Monday, the National Emergency Management and Civil Protection Administration (ANEPC) issued a fire hazard warning in rural areas, taking into account IPMA forecasts of hot and dry weather.

The ANEPC said in a statement that IPMA predicts hot and dry weather for today and Wednesday and a worsening fire risk to a maximum level in the Algarve region and in the north and in the center of the hinterland.

In the note, ANEPC reminds that “large-scale burning without permission or without prior notice is prohibited.”

ANEPC recommends an adequate behavior and attitude towards the risk of fire in rural areas, namely the adoption of the necessary preventive and preventive measures in accordance with current legislation and paying special attention to the evolution of fire risk during this period.

According to the Institute for Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF), 2,379 forest fires have occurred since the beginning of the year, and 7,538 hectares have burned in rural areas.