The fire that broke out today in the Union of the Parishes of Ortigos and Souto da Carpalhos forced the VNR to intervene due to the threat to firefighters while putting out the fire, a source in the civil protection told Lusa.
The head of the sub-regional department of emergency and civil protection of Leiria, Carlos Guerra, explained that firefighters were called to the scene of a forest fire and “when they arrived, someone threatened them and started mistreating them.”
“The GNR was called,” the person in charge added.
A GNR source from Leiria confirmed to Lusa that a patrol was sent to the scene where family members identified and reported the suspect as the person who had used a firearm against the firefighters, threatening them.
According to the same source, at 10:50 p.m. GNR representatives were still on site and taking all necessary measures; no arrests had been made.
The fire broke out at 21:01, but after about an hour and a half it was already at the extinguishing stage.