Fire rages in Madeira. Tourist trails closed

The fire broke out in Madeira last Wednesday and has so far scorched more than three thousand hectares of forest. About 40 vehicles and helicopters are involved in the extinguishing operation, according to Reuters. Firefighters are having difficulty containing the fire due to high temperatures, low humidity and gusts of wind.

The entire southern part of the island is under the second degree of heat hazard. Marcio Dinarte Fernandes, mayor of the city of Santana in southern Madeira, reported that the fire has already reached the highest peak of the island – Pico Ruivo. Experts predict that the fire will move towards the central part of the Portuguese island.

More than 20 trails have been closed by police in Madeira due to a fire that has been raging for a week, which tourists are trying to get close to. Uniformed officers have been patrolling some of the closed trails since Tuesday afternoon. Despite numerous prohibitions, cases of people approaching the fire, including for the purpose of taking photos, occurred very often – local media reported, including RTP Madeira television.

In addition to closing the trails, police services also suspended traffic on several roads. Some of them, as reported by the Madeira Civil Defense, are impassable due to landslides on steep slopes that accompany the disaster.

On Tuesday, the Madeira police announced that they were investigating the circumstances of the outbreak of the fire in the central part of the island. They did not confirm the declaration of the regional prime minister, Miguel Albuquerque, who believes that the tragedy on the island was the result of setting the fire. On Tuesday, the head of the Madeira government criticized the Portuguese authorities for what he considered insufficient assistance to the island engulfed in the fire. So far, Lisbon has sent two helicopters and 80 firefighters and rescuers to Madeira. At least two firefighters were injured in the fight against the fire.