Firefighters Control 90% of Wildfire Perimeter in Castelo Branco Amid Heatwave

A wildfire that erupted on Sunday in a forested area between Almaceda and Padrão in Castelo Branco was still active by Monday morning. Authorities confirmed no homes were at risk, attributing the fire's cause to a thunderstorm, as stated by Civil Protection.

"Currently, 90% of the wildfire's perimeter is under control, with mop-up operations ongoing," reported José Neves, commander of the National Authority for Civil Protection, to RTP. "We have 120 personnel on the ground, supported by vehicles, four aerial units, and three bulldozers."

"The terrain's difficult access complicates efforts for both vehicles and personnel on foot," Neves added, highlighting the challenges faced in consolidating hotspots with bulldozers to extinguish remaining flames.

Another fire in Alvorão, Torres Novas, was controlled by Sunday evening and declared extinguished after mop-up operations concluded at 22:15. At its peak, over 109 personnel and three aerial units were deployed, with 20 firefighters remaining by morning.

Heatwave prompts red alerts

With a heatwave sweeping the country, the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere issued red alerts for seven districts until Tuesday: Lisbon, Setúbal, Santarém, Évora, Beja, Castelo Branco, and Portalegre. Orange alerts are in place for Bragança, Coimbra, Faro, Guarda, Vila Real, and Viseu, with yellow alerts for the rest.

Over 90 municipalities in the northern and central interior and Algarve face maximum fire risk today, according to IPMA.

Temperatures peaked at 46.6°C in Mora, Évora, on Sunday, nearing the August 2003 record of 47.3°C. If confirmed, this would be June's highest temperature ever recorded in Portugal.

Despite red alerts, some areas experienced rain, thunderstorms, and hail. In Corças, Guarda, and Fornos de Algodres, residents were surprised by hail in the afternoon. Meanwhile, a cloud resembling a giant wave was spotted over central Portugal's beaches.