Over 1700 Firefighters Battle Blazes in Arganil, Trancoso, and Sátão as Portugal Faces Severe Wildfire Crisis

Portugal is on high alert due to the risk of rural fires since August 2nd. 63,000 hectares of forest areas have burned, half in the last three weeks, with 5,963 fires reported. According to provisional data from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), wildfires have consumed approximately 75,000 hectares so far, with more than half burned in the last three weeks.

Portugal ranks third in the EU for the most burned area this year, following Spain (148,205 hectares) and Romania (123,816 hectares), based on estimates from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). This year's burned area is nine times larger than the same period last year and the second-largest since 2017.

In Bragança, the GNR arrested two men (aged 42 and 61) for starting a forest fire in Quirás, Vinhais. The suspects were caught red-handed using a lighter near an emergency team. The lighter was seized, and the men will face their first court interrogation.

A national director of the Judicial Police (PJ) urged the government to reconsider penalties for forest fires outside the 'hot period,' as the current penalties range from one to 12 years in prison for intentional fires and fines to three years for negligence. So far, 90 people have been arrested this year for forest fire-related crimes.

Spain has requested help from European partners to combat wildfires, including two Canadair planes, as the situation remains critical. Meanwhile, nine aircraft are currently fighting fires in Arganil, Cinfães, Sátão, and Trancoso.

The fire near Piódão, Arganil, has spread towards Oliveira do Hospital and Seia, driven by strong winds and steep slopes. Firefighters describe the situation as "extremely complex," with priority given to protecting nearby villages. In Chão Sobral, Oliveira do Hospital, about 20 people spent the night in a school as a precaution.

As of 8 AM, over 1,700 firefighters were battling the three main fires in Arganil (847 personnel), Trancoso (452), and Sátão (424), supported by hundreds of vehicles. In total, 2,700 firefighters are combating wildfires across Portugal, aided by 915 vehicles and two aircraft.