Outdoor fire

Fire began yesterday; thick smoke hampering attack from air.The fire that broke out yesterday in the municipality of Guarda is still burning and has forced the closure of the A25 in both directions between Pínzio and the Leomil junction. The main concern for the teams on the ground is to prevent the blaze crossing the motorway and advancing towards the village of Freixo.Authorities are monitoring the area particularly closely, as this remains the country’s most serious blaze for the time being. In Pínzio, in the municipality of Pinhel, some areas have already been affected by flames, but the fire has not yet posed a direct threat to the village. However, the presence of dense scrub and areas of dry grass continues to pose a risk to the fire’s spread.Aerial resources have been carrying out successive water drops to try to halt the advance of the flames, but the thick smoke has hampered pilots’ work and reduced the effectiveness of the operations. The wind also continues to aid the spread of the fire.This blaze broke out at 1.51 pm in the village of Rochoso yesterday. During the afternoon, flames spread from Guarda municipality towards those of Almeida and Sabugal, causing moments of particular concern near Rochoso and Parada, in the municipality of Almeida. These areas were eventually brought under control.In addition to the A25, National Road 16 is also closed in both directions between the village of Amoreira, in Almeida, and Pínzio, in Pinhel.Right now, roughly firefighters are battling the blaze, supported by 118 vehicles and five aircraft. Five firefighters sustained minor injuries during operations carried out on Monday night.