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16 August 2024
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Hundreds of firefighters battle Madeira wildfire, Portugal
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Hundreds of Portuguese firefighters on Sunday scrambled to put out a wildfire sweeping parts of the Atlantic island of Madeira's south coast, a popular tourist destination, with strong winds complicating efforts to tackle the fire. The wildfire, which started on Wednesday, 14 August 2024, in a remote rural area of Ribeira Brava has spread to the neighbouring municipality of Camara de Lobos and now has three fronts, island authorities said.
Nearly 200 firefighters, backed by 38 vehicles are tackling the fire but high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames. A helicopter also battled the blaze but had to stop operating as the night set in.
The European Union said Thursday that two water bomber planes were headed for the Atlantic island of Madeira to bolster firefighting efforts following an emergency request from the Portuguese Government.
The fire started in the Ribeira Brava district and spread to the nearby Camara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol districts in the southern part of the island.
“This fire, which is very dangerous, I have no doubt it was caused by arson in an inaccessible area where air support could not operate,” the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, said.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported but 160 people have been evacuated for precaution, he said.
The entire coastline of Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal home to around 250 000 people, has been placed on orange alert, the second highest level, until Monday, due to high temperatures.
According to weather agency IPMA, the temperature in Madeira reached 30 degrees Celsius (86°F) in the last few days. Strong winds that were fanning the flames led to dozens of cancelled flights.
Portugal sent a force of 76 firefighters from the mainland to Madeira on Saturday and the neighbouring Azores archipelago was to send 15 firefighters on Sunday evening.
Thousands of hectares of vegetation were lost in a wildfire last year on Madeira and at least three people were killed in a 2016 wildfire near the main city of Funchal.
Sources: Reuters, France 24
Nearly 200 firefighters, backed by 38 vehicles are tackling the fire but high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames. A helicopter also battled the blaze but had to stop operating as the night set in.
The European Union said Thursday that two water bomber planes were headed for the Atlantic island of Madeira to bolster firefighting efforts following an emergency request from the Portuguese Government.
The fire started in the Ribeira Brava district and spread to the nearby Camara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol districts in the southern part of the island.
“This fire, which is very dangerous, I have no doubt it was caused by arson in an inaccessible area where air support could not operate,” the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, said.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported but 160 people have been evacuated for precaution, he said.
The entire coastline of Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal home to around 250 000 people, has been placed on orange alert, the second highest level, until Monday, due to high temperatures.
According to weather agency IPMA, the temperature in Madeira reached 30 degrees Celsius (86°F) in the last few days. Strong winds that were fanning the flames led to dozens of cancelled flights.
Portugal sent a force of 76 firefighters from the mainland to Madeira on Saturday and the neighbouring Azores archipelago was to send 15 firefighters on Sunday evening.
Thousands of hectares of vegetation were lost in a wildfire last year on Madeira and at least three people were killed in a 2016 wildfire near the main city of Funchal.
Sources: Reuters, France 24
