The National Civil Protection issued a warning to the population yesterday with preventive measures, such as a ban on fires and the use of fireworks, due to the danger of rural fires caused by the hot and dry weather.
The warning was issued on the eve of the state of alert in mainland Portugal, which will remain in place until Tuesday. “The state of alert will be activated for the 21st, 22nd and 23rd, with a reassessment [of the situation] scheduled for Monday at the end of the day”, announced José Luís Carneiro, Portugal’s minister of internal administration.
According to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, fire risk rates remain between very high and maximum in the North, Centre, Tagus Valley, Baixo Alentejo and Algarve regions.
The list of preventive measures also includes the prohibition of circulating and remaining in forest areas and on paths and carrying out work with machinery (except for civil construction works, provided that they cannot be postponed and that fire risk mitigation measures are adopted, harvesting crops, morning forestry cutting, and transport work, provided that they are communicated to the competent authority).
