A fire has swept through the tinder-dry countryside in Perna Seca to the north of São Bartolomeu de Messines in the Silves area of the Algarve.
The blaze broke out this afternoon at around 15:00 and is being tackled by over 200 firemen. Four helicopters were deloyed to dump water on the flames.
The District Command said the fire has two active fronts and two teams have come down from Beja to help fight the flames.
A vast column of smoke is visible from much of the region with the pall of smoke drifting south as night fell but the fire service says there are no properties in imminent danger but that six houses and 49 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Difficult access and wind were the main problems facing firefighters, according to the commander of relief operations.
Abel Gomes, from Operations Operational Command in Faro, said at 18:30 that there are "two active fronts and some forest areas of pine and eucalyptus" and that the fire was being fanned by the wind but that this would drop as evening fell.
The Beja teams had to rush off to a forest fire in Almodôvar late this afternoon and one of the helicopters also went north to help.
The Silves mayor said that everything will be done to control the Perna Seca fire as soon as possible.
