There is still a long way to go, but last weekend’s ‘extraordinarily large, extraordinarily complex’ killer blaze that started in Oleiros has finally been dominated.
It caused the death of one fireman, injuries to seven others (two of which are in a serious condition) and destroyed up to 6,000 hectares of countryside.
Hundreds of firefighters are now moving into what’s called the ‘consolidation phase’, which is every bit as critical as that of combat
Said firefighter commander Luís Belo Costa: “Right now there is no village at risk because there is no active front – no situation of this type. The burnt area is very extensive, but will probably round out at around 6000 hectares. Now it’s time to assess the damage”.
Firefighters are backed by 274 vehicles and air support which will be spending the next few days checking for hot spots.
Very little has been said about the cause of this fire which began early afternoon on Saturday, though a harrowing tribute to the young firefighter killed saw Facebook page ‘Bombeiros Portugueses’ refer to an act of arson (click here).
