Fires: two mayors between “panic” and “I don’t know what I can do”

Already lacking answers in Trancoso and Vila Real. New fires emerged over the last night; evacuated village.

Os fires They continue to scare thousands of Portuguese. Throughout the early hours of Wednesday, they triggered New Fires: Sátão, Macedo de Knights and Arganil – Where a village has already been evacuated.

The mayor of Trancoso It said yesterday, Tuesday, that they lived “moments of panic” in the locality of Terrena, where the security officer was able to remove the elderly for the building of the Parish Council.

“About 15:00 the wind changed towards the Terrenic village. It was a very strong wind that was felt. We warned the local security officer, about half an hour before, and he managed to join people [mais idosas e com dificuldades de mobilidade] In the Board Building [freguesia]”Amílcar Salvador told Lusa agency.

The mayor, which was in the locality of Terrena, in the municipality of Trancoso, said that so far he is not aware of the existence of any victims or houses of burning housing.

“The fire entered the village. Were authentic moments of panic and very fearful those who lived. You firemen have been tireless. They are exhausted and the population has helped a lot, ”he said.

The mayor of Trancoso, in the Guarda district, also said that the losses are huge, Above all, at the level of fetals of chestnut trees, olive groves, vineyards, orchards and pasture lands.

“At this time and roughly they must have already burned about 12 thousand hectares. The fire has already reached 11 of the 21 parishes of the county,” he said.

Amílcar Salvador appealed to the Central Administration to help the affected populations.

“Anything has to be done. In addition to the City Council, the central administration has to help these populations, ”he said.

According to the National Civil Protection Authority (Anepc), at 18:30, on the ground were 598 operational, 202 vehicles and 11 air assets operating in the fight against flames.

The firefight, which launched on Saturday afternoon, was evolving favorably around 12:00 on Tuesday. However, according to the mayor of Trancoso, around 15:00, they emerged strong winds With change of direction, which complicated the fight against the flames.

The Chamber of Trancoso decided to maintain the Municipal Emergency and Civil Protection Plan in the face “to the emergency situation caused by the fire that affects the municipality”, and following the meeting of the Municipal Civil Protection Commission.

The municipality has already suspended the watering of public spaces and called on to the population to reduce water consumption “to strictly necessary” and thus contribute to “safeguarding this essential resource for fire fighting.”

“What can I do?”

The Mayor of Village On Tuesday, he called for a reinforcement of means to combat the fire that has been going on in that county for 11 days, stating that the operational ones are tired.

“Men are really tiredtaking into account the size of this fire (…). Those who can charge this situation, please, to help us. I don’t know what I can do At this moment, more than not to do this appeal: that really Put people on the ground, to refresh these operational”Said the mayor.

Alexandre Favaios spoke to journalists in the village of Paredes, Which is currently one of the villages that is causing the firefighters more concern, due to the proximity of the fire.

The mayor also mentioned that this Fire has already reached 25 villages and traveled 12 kilometersbetween mascoselo and walls, of which four kilometers were only today, and stressed that this afternoon were two new ignitions in the La Salette area, in Vila Cova.

Alexandre Favaios again asked for all means to be mobilized, maintaining that the means on the ground are insufficient to put charge and this fire.

“We are alert. responsibility It’s clear. There is a decree that the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority has autonomy to mobilize all means to their power to put them on the ground. This is what we ask. Just and just that, ”he said.

The mayor said that, so far, he has not yet spoken to the Prime Minister or the Minister of Internal Affairs, clarifying that contacts have been made by the Secretary of State, “informing the additional mobilization of some means” that have only contributed to mitigating some situations.

He also insisted that “those who have power, have the capacity to end with this scourge, with this anxiety, with this anguish, do it. ”

Today, Wednesday, is already the 12th day of this fire that started at 23:45 on August 2, has already been completed And since Saturday, he suffered two reactivations, One on Saturday and one on Monday afternoon.

The past dawn was again of hard work for firefighters, but meteorology begins to help – although the fire is not yet in the resolution phase.