Over the weekend, an extensive team of Portuguese firefighters rushed to quell a wildfire that had erupted on the southern coast of Madeira, the renowned Atlantic island hot spot for tourists. The efforts to control the inferno were intensified due to the ongoing strong coastal winds.
The blaze, ignited on Wednesday in an isolated countryside area of Ribeira Brava, gradually extended towards the adjoining town of Camara de Lobos. The wildfire has now grown to three individual fronts, according to updates from the local authorities.
Close to 200 firefighters, aided by a fleet of 38 vehicles, are currently fighting the blaze. However, the battle against the flames has been hampered due to climatic conditions characterised by high temperatures, dry air and robust winds. Furthermore, the operation of a helicopter fighting the blaze was discontinued as evening fell.
Miguel Albuquerque, president of Madeira’s regional government, speculated during a press conference that arson was to blame for the dangerous fire. He stated that the fire originated from an inaccessible location where airborne assistance was untenable.
Although no injuries or deaths have been reported so far, precautionary measures have seen almost 160 people evacuated.
Due to a persistent heat wave, the entire coastline of Madeira, home to approximately 250,000 residents and designated as an autonomous region of Portugal, has been issued an orange warning. The orange alert is the second most severe warning, set to remain active until Monday.
As per data released by weather agency IPMA, Madeira’s temperatures have recently soared to 30 degrees Celsius (equivalent to 86°F.). Moreover, hefty winds, aggravating the virulence of the fire, have instigated numerous flight cancellations.
To offer additional support, a detachment of 76 firefighters from mainland Portugal arrived in Madeira on Saturday, and a team of 15 firefighters are expected to join from Azores, another Portuguese archipelago, Sunday evening. — Reuters
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