Major fire Zambujeiro, Cascais, Lisbon District

 

Incident created: 2115 hrs 25th July 2023

UPDATE: 2230 HRS 26th July 2023

Fire is now at a CONCLUSION stage

146 operatives supported by 49 vehicles remain deployed.

UPDATE: 10.00 hrs

At 0945 hrs the fire remains in resolution A total of 522 operatives supported by 163 vehicles and three aircraft remain deployed.

Wind speeds decreased overnight and  gust are currently around 35km/h (Windy.com). However these are forecast to increase during the afternoon to 48 km/h in the area concerned. Direction is from the north. This is far less than the 70 to 80 km/h reported late last night.

UPDATE: 0600 hrs 26th July 

Fire UNDER RESOLUTION at 03h38 meaning that the fire is under control with not threat of it increasing beyond current perimiter

Deployment 509 operatives and 160 vehicles

Circulation has reopened on the A5, between the Alvide and Cascais interchanges, in both directions, announced today Brisa Autoestradas,

Nine firefighters suffered minor injuries in fighting the flames, mostly due to “situations of exhaustion”, and four civilians were assisted “due to smoke inhalation”, added the commander of the Sub-Regional Command of Emergency and Civil Protection of Greater Lisbon, Hugo Santos , at a point of the situation carried out at 23:45 on Tuesday.

The forest fire led to the withdrawal of nearly 90 people “as a precaution”, including two groups of Portuguese and Spanish scouts, the mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras (PSD), told Lus

UPDATE 2330 HRS

Mayor Carlos Carreiras referred, in a situation report carried out at 23:15 on Tuesday, that ten citizens were removed from their homes to a municipal sports pavilion.

The sports pavilion also received two groups of scouts, totalling 77 elements, Portuguese and Spanish, who were in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, he also said, adding that the removal of people occurred “as a precaution” and that these “were not running any obvious risk”.

UPDATE: 22.30 HRS

ANEPC have issued the following concerning the Sintra-Cascais Nature Park

“We urge everyone to avoid the traffic lanes on the Sintra Mountains, Blue Lagoon Road. Contribute to the free and safe movement of emergency vehicles in the theatre of operations”

As at 2245 hrs: Deployment 689 operatives, supported by 189 vehicles and one observation aircraft.

They have also issued advice concerning dealing with smoke from the fire in accordance with DGS guidelines.

UPDATE: 2100 hrs

With the withdrawal of most aircraft, except one observation aircraft, at nightfall the number of ground resources has now been increased to 637 operatives and 169 vehicles.

Civil Protection is prioritizing the safeguarding of people and homes. Hugo Santos, commander of the sub-region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, said in the late afternoon that the fire was “controlled by the wind”, which has caused projections of up to 300 meters.

Speaking to RTP, around 20:00, the mayor of Cascais, Carlos Carreiras, said that fighting the flames was more difficult in peri-urban areas, a situation that should change overnight.

The Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of Greater Lisbon also indicated that there is a firefighter who suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation.

Meanwhile, around 880 animals were removed from Associação São Francisco de Assis and from another kennel.

UPDATE 19h30 – The village of Zambujeiro is being evacuated due to the forest fire raging in that area, said a source from the GNR. The same source added that the population is being removed from the village by GNR agents.

“The wind the main difficulty in the fight against this fire” a source from the Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of Greater Lisbon told Lusa.

Also for safety reasons and proximity to the fire, the Municipal Kennel of Cascais will have to be evacuated, having to remove about 700 animals.

The fire is close to houses, with the wind being the main difficulty in fighting the flames, a source from the Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command of Greater Lisbon told Lusa.

NOW 434 operatives, 118 vehicles and 13 aircraft

Brisa Autoestradas confirmed that road traffic is cut off between the Alvide and Cascais nodes on the A5 – in both directions.

GNR confirmed to Lusa that “traffic is being diverted to Highway A16”.

Fernando Azevedo, operational commander of the Civil Protection, told TSF that, despite the fire raging near it, THE CASCAIS HOSPITAL “IS NOT AT RISK”, as well as the nearest residences.

Contacted around 6:30 pm, the Pisão Social Support Center, which is also located near where the fire is very active, said that they also had no instructions from the authorities to evacuate the premises.

384 operatives, 104 vehicles and 14 aircraft

UPDATE 1815 hrs

Five combat groups, composed of various types of vehicles, have already been activated, with air assets from Beja and Ferreira do Zêzere on the way.

The fire is burning an extensive area of the municipality of Cascais, close to the hospital, between Zambujeiro and Cobre is of great proportions. Two active fronts.

“The wind is very strong, in the order of 50 to 60 km/hour. Taking into account that one of the fronts is heading towards Cobre, where there are many houses, the efforts are being focused here in order to stop this advance” said the commander of the Parede Firefighters, Pedro Araújo

250 operatives, 70 vehicles and 14 aircraft

SITREP 1750 HRS

Fire in Alcabideche has two active fronts and has so far mobilized 144 firefighters, 40 vehicles and five air means.

The alert was given around 16:58 and the flames are next to Cascais Hospital.