The fires on the island of Madeira continue this Friday morning, and the most difficult situation is in the municipalities of Porto Moniz and Calheta, said this Friday the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Patricia Gaspar. More than 100 operators, 42 vehicles and the air force battle the fire as they rescue 13 tourists stuck in a levada on Thursday in the municipality of Porto Moniz.
“We know it was a difficult night, a difficult night. The fires are still ongoing. The most difficult situations are in Porto Moniz and Calheta,” Patricia Gaspar said at around 7:30 am in an RTP statement at the Figo Maduro airfield in Lisbon to accompany the departure of the contingent to Madeira.
The wooded area of the municipality of Calheta is engulfed in flames, and emergency services are concentrated in a residential area where there is already one homeless person. The mayor noted that the fire engulfed two houses in Ponta do Pargo: one residential and the other empty.
Together with the authorities of Madeira, it was decided to activate the contingent of the National Emergency Management and Civil Protection Directorate. [ANEPC]Special Civil Protection Force and National Institute of Emergency Medical Services. [INEM] to Madeira.
At 9:39 am, municipal president Emanuel Camara reports that the fire burning in the municipality of Porto Moniz has lost intensity but is “not completely under control.”
“The fire continues, we cannot say that the situation has been resolved. This was one of the fires that hit our municipality the hardest as far as anyone can remember,” the mayor told the Lusa news agency, before emphasizing: “I cannot assume that the fires are under control because in any moment they may resume, hence the activation of the Municipal Emergency Plan.”
Authorities close levadas and paths on the island of Madeira
Authorities decided this Friday to close several levadas and trails on the island of Madeira due to fires and urge people not to travel in mountainous areas.
The Madeira government said in a statement that the Institute of Forestry and Nature Conservation had closed the secret hiking routes “due to the occurrence of forest fires.”
Thus, the levadas 25 Fontes (Calheta), Risco (Calheta), Alekrim (Calheta), Cedros (Porto Moniz) and Moinho (in the municipality of Ponta do Sol, neighboring north of Porto Moniz and west of Calheta) were closed. .
Authorities also closed the Lagoa do Vento (Calheta) and Fanal (Porto Moniz) roads, as well as the Caminho Real do Paul do Mar (Calheta) road.
“We also inform you that the recreation areas of Fonte do Bispo, Cruzinhas, Fanal and Rabasal are closed and we advise you not to travel in mountainous areas,” they added in the statement.
Regional roads are cut
Several regional roads (ER) were closed due to fires raging in the municipalities of Calheta, Porto Moniz and Camara de Lobos, the regional roads department said.
In a statement, the management said that ER 210 between Prazeres and Fonte do Bispo, as well as the section of ER 105 between Portas da Vila Santa do Porto Moniz and the junction with ER 209 in Paul da Serra are closed to traffic . fires.
In addition to this, ER 101 between Ponta do Pargo and Portas da Vila in Santa do Porto Moniz, ER 101 (VE3) between Raposeira and Ponta do Pargo and ER 222 between the junction with ER 223 ( motocross track) and motocross track. Lombada dos Marinjeiros (“Panoeste”) website.
ER 223 is also closed between the ER 101 (VE3) roundabout and the junction with Caminho da Lagoa (Paul do Mar).
The Madeira archipelago has been under an orange weather warning since last week due to persistent high temperatures exceeding 30 degrees per day. The situation will last until 23:00 Saturday.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.