A fire re-ignited on Wednesday evening, September 7th, sweeping across the hills of Monchique in the Nave/Casais area, fanned by a brisk and unwelcome wind.
The blaze was being dealt with by firefighters but this seriously large and worrying development got out of control overnight with flames reaching the Arade river. Many firefighters had remained on fire watch for just this eventuality and 350 bombeiros and 116 vehicles have been involved in what seems like a losing battle.
The army had been helping out by monitoring the damaged Monchique hills looking for further outbreaks and the immediacy of firefighting resources initially gave hope that the blaze could be controlled. However, the wind did not help matters at all and the fire continued overnight despite hundreds of people involved in the battle.
Last weekend’s fires in the Monchique, Porto de Lagos and Fóia areas affected an area of just over 400 hectares in 26 hours and the man accused of starting the blazes has been remanded in custody, mostly for his own safety, as he awaits trial.
The other big blaze in the Algarve this month was on August 8th and 9th just north of São Bartolomeu de Messines, Silves which consumed 1,800 hectares.
So far this year, there have been 269 fires in the region that have burned 2,019 hectares. This is fewer than last year but the area damaged is larger.
It is still hot and all fire services inn the region are on full alert until the temperature falls this weekend.
On Thursday morning the Monchique fire had reached the north side of the Arade river with the main fire in the hills still burning.
The District Centre for Rescue Operations (CDOS), said the fire crossed the Marmalete to Casais road last night but so far there has been no information of casualties or serious damage to any of the scattered dwellings in the area.
Fire chief Vaz Pinto also said that "a few scattered dwellings were affected, but none burned," stressing that "only a few ruins or uninhabited houses were affected."
By the morning there had been many evacuations with others warned by police that they would have to leave their property if the wind changed direction.
Pinto said at 04:00 that the reactivation of the fire last night at 19:57 was "very explosive" and that the fight was "unfolding in a very difficult area with two active fronts in four sectors."
Three firemen have been inhured, thanksfully not seriously and are out of hospital. Eight aircraft are now dumping water on the advancing flames.
Tvi24 has broadcast the moment when a group of firefighters were engulfed by flames,click on this link:
Photograph by Yvonne Fisher
See also: https://fogos.pt/
