The Pedrógão Grande fire officially was reported as extinguished mid-afternoon on Saturday, a week after it broke out.
Some 570 fire service personnel remain in the area, according to Miguel Cruz, from the National Civil Protection Agency, along with 214 vehicles as there are small pockets of fire within the perimeter that still need dealing with.
The Pedrógão Grande fire, in the Leiria district, has caused at least 64 deaths and left more than 200 people injured.
A large fire just over the Algarve border in Spain has led to the evacuation of over 2,000 people from their homes and holiday accommodation.
Officials believe that the incident in the Huelva region, which swept into the Doñana National Park was started by negligence or deliberately (see picture below).
The evacuation early on Sunday morning was in response to the forest fire that had started in Moguer, Huelva, near the Doñana National Park.
The fire alert was given at 9.30 pm on Saturday with a Level 1 Emergency Plan put into action by early Sunday morning. The change of wind direction ensured the blaze soon was out of control so 1,500 people living in the Doñana area were evacuated, joined by 600 from nearby villages, a tourist hotel, two campsites and the Arenosilla military base.
With temperatures in Portugal hitting the high 30s and low 40s on Saturday and low 30s on Sunday, numerous smaller outbreaks have kept the fire service fully occupied this weeeknd in Olhao, Pechão, Quelfes, Marim, Loulé, Salir, Norinha and Cortelha with the region’s northern hillsides on maximum alert and coastal areas on elevated and very elevated risk ratings.
There were two fires on Saturday morning in the Parque da Mina area of Monchique, both of which were put out by lunchtime. Firefighters from Lagoa and Monchique, and a helicopter, tackled the twin blazes before they spread.
The continuing hot weather and winds are ideal conditions in which fires can take hold and spread rapidly with the authorities reminding people that barbeques and any other sort of outside fire is totally banned.
