Portugal returned to record a tornado of fire, a rare and extreme phenomenon that forms in the midst of large forest fires. The episode took place on Friday night (15), in Aguiar da Beira, in the Guarda district, where residents filmed a vortex of flames rising in the middle of the flame vegetation.
The so -called “tornado de fire” happens when air overheated by fire rises rapidly, creating a whirlwind that can carry, besides the flames, ashes, embers and debris, expanding the risks to rescue teams and for those who live in affected areas.
This was the second case recorded this summer European. The previous Saturday (9), a similar phenomenon was observed in Moimenta da Beira, in the district of Viseu, during a fire that lasted more than 24 hours and even threatened homes.
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The fire that gave rise to the most recent tornado began at dawn on Wednesday (13), in Vila Boa, in the municipality of Sátão (Viseu), and spread to the neighboring municipalities of Sernancelhe and Aguiar da Beira, amid high temperatures and strong wind.
Alert state
Faced with the escalation of the fires, the Portuguese government extended until Sunday (17) the national alert situation, which had been in force since August 2. The measure was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Maria Lúcia Amaral, with the maintenance of all restrictions on risk activities in rural areas.
According to preliminary data from the Nature and Forest Conservation Institute (ICNF), more than 75,000 hectares of vegetation have been consumed by flames by 2025 – more than half in the last three weeks.
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It is the second largest area burned since 2017, when the country faced the tragedy of Pedrógão Grande, which left more than 60 dead.
