Residents Stand Ready with Hoses as Wildfire Threatens Their Village in Arganil

Residents of Relvas, in the municipality of Arganil, watch the fire from a distance. And wait.

António Santos, a 61-year-old local from the village of Relvas in Arganil, shows concern for the fire up high but remains optimistic. "Here, we don't scream. When it arrives, we're ready," he says, pointing to the hoses and tanks at the doors of the houses. Dona Irene, however, is in worse spirits. 'Aunt Irene', as she's called, is 93 years old. "It's suffering. They were out all night trying to keep the fire from coming," she shares, emotional. "Back in the day, I even went with buckets to put out the fire," she recalls while watering the garden with a hose.

The fire has ravaged the entire hillside. It's just one of the major fires affecting the country. It started in Piódão and continues to burn in Arganil, Oliveira do Hospital, and Seia. Now, it threatens the Serra da Estrela.