Hundreds of Portuguese firefighters battled Sunday (Aug. 18) to contain wildfires that have swept through parts of the southern coast of the Atlantic island of Madeira, a popular tourist destination. Crews faced strong winds that made efforts to combat the blazes difficult.
The fire, which started on Wednesday (14/8) in the remote village of Ribeira Brava, has spread to the neighboring town of Camara de Lobos and is now spreading in three directions, authorities on the island said.
Nearly 200 firefighters, supported by 38 vehicles, were deployed to tackle the blaze. But high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds made it difficult to extinguish the blaze. A helicopter was also working to tackle the fire but had stopped operating as night fell.
“This fire, which is very dangerous, I have no doubt that it was caused by arsonists in an inaccessible area where air support cannot operate,” Madeira regional government chief Miguel Albuquerque told reporters.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, but 160 people had been evacuated as a precaution, he said.
The entire coast of Madeira – an autonomous region of Portugal with a population of around 250,000 people – has been placed on the second-highest alert level, until Monday (19/8), due to high temperatures.
Temperatures in Madeira have reached 30 degrees Celsius in recent days, according to the IPMA weather agency. Strong winds fanning the flames have led to dozens of flight cancellations.
Portugal sent a force of 76 firefighters to Madeira on Saturday, while the neighboring Azores archipelago was due to send 15 firefighters on Sunday night. (uh)
