Fire is ravaging the central part of Madeira. Several hundred people were evacuated from the town of Curral das Freiras due to the fire. On Saturday morning, the fire broke into this Portuguese municipality.
According to local authorities, the fire that firefighters have been battling in Madeira since Wednesday has already consumed several abandoned buildings in Curral das Freiras. One firefighter was injured in the fight against the fire, which is spreading quickly across the island with the wind.
A special unit will fight the fire
The archipelago authorities said that due to the growing fire, firefighters and rescuers from a special unit had to be called from mainland Portugal. At least 80 of its officers are expected to arrive from Lisbon by Sunday. On Saturday evening, local services continued to block roads and trails due to the threat to the safety of the local population and tourists, who are many in the Curral das Freiras area. The president of the Madeira Institute for Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), Manuel Filipe, reported that despite the blockade of roads and the installation of signs warning of the risk, some tourists were approaching the burning forest and entering closed trails. “We have already detained a group of tourists who ignored these warnings. They will be fined,” Filipe added. Local media reported that many foreigners, including Britons, Germans and Poles, were spending their holidays in the area affected by the fire.
Main image source: ENEX