Nearly 200 firefighters are tackling a major blaze which broke out at around 3pm this afternoon in São Marcos da Serra (Silves). Fire crews are being assisted by 57 vehicles, including 11 planes and helicopters.
The fire is raging with “great intensity” due to strong winds and has three active fronts, says a source from the region’s rescue operations command (CDOS). Flames are consuming scrubland and vast areas of cork oak and eucalyptus trees, it adds.
The blaze started near Monte Ruivo, a small town near the IC1 road. So far, authorities have not needed to evacuate any houses or cut traffic to nearby roads.
This is the Algarve’s second major fire this summer, coming just over two weeks after a massive blaze broke out in the Western Algarve (click here).
