A fire which started in the municipality of Aljezur and at one point was fought by 160 firefighters and 50 vehicles, was brought under control within 12 hours.
The blaze, in the heart of the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, started at around 2.30pm last Saturday and spread to the forest area of Chabouco, but by 2.30am on Sunday the threat was extinguished, though the fire-fighters were faced with difficulties due to strong winds. The affected area comprised mostly undergrowth and also reached a eucalyptus plantation, but no houses were threatened by the blaze.
Similarly, a fire which began in an agricultural area in Mértola, a municipality of the eastern Alentejo bordering the Algarve, was put out at around 6.40pm on Saturday, nearly four hours after it started. This fire was fought by nearly 100 firefighters, one helicopter and 26 vehicles.
