Nearly 1,000 firefighters put on standby in the Algarve as heat hits 40C
Emergency chiefs have drafted in nearly 1,000 firefighters to the Algarve region fearing renewed outbreaks of blazes as temperatures are set to hit 40 degrees this weekend.
Huge fires engulfed the north of the Algarve and other areas of Portugal earlier in the week but were generally brought under control. But a special “orange warning” has now been put in place.
It’s the second highest alert possible because of fears that wildfires could move south towards beaches where tens of thousands of Brits are enjoying their holidays. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere - their equivalent of the Met Office - said the weather warning will remain in place until Sunday morning at the earliest.
Mirror chief reporter Andy Lines in the Algarve (SplashNews.com)While temperatures are always hot in August the next 48 hours are expected to be even hotter than normal. After the huge fires that swept through the northern part of the Algarve - fuelled by fierce easterly winds - the authorities are not taking any chances.
There are 900 extra firefighters - mainly based in Northern Algarve - ready to jump into action at any time. In the east near Faro, temperatures will reach 40 degrees today with just 10 percent humidity.
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Barbara Leitch, who runs an online group to warn people about fires said: “A better situation than last night but there is no room for complacency.” The areas around Faro and Albufeira are described as “on very high fire risk.”
It comes as Brit tourists on their annual holidays in Portugal say they are staying put. The biggest fire reached the northern part of the Algarve, just 25 miles from the beaches where tens of thousands of Britons are spending their summer breaks.
Brit tourists on their annual holidays in Portugal say they are staying put (SplashNews.com)We travelled on the winding N120 road from the coast up towards the centre of the blaze. Huge palls of smoke filled the air and dozens of small fires continued to burn on both sides of the road. But that didn’t deter Brits Victoria Morecroft, 75 and husband George, 74, from Oundle, Northants, who were on their way to the Tasca Muamba restaurant in Rogil.
She said: “We’ve come up for lunch at one of our favourite restaurants. We realise it’s very close to the fires but we feel very safe. There are many Brits visiting our home village of Burgau, and none are leaving. It’s a case of ‘we’re on holiday and we shall not be moved’.”
The huge fire has raged through the villages and hamlets around Odemira. Everywhere we looked was burnt woodland. I watched squads of firefighters move up and down the road pausing to extinguish dozens of small blazes to prevent them from spreading. Flames licked the sides of a petrol station.
While temperatures are always hot in August the next 48 hours is expected to be even hotter than normal (SplashNews.com)We drove down a dusty track to try to visit the boutique hotel Teima. We had to complete the last 400 metres on foot as a bridge to the hotel had been destroyed. We stood in the wreckage of one of the rooms. The heat was so strong all the glass had melted.
Paulo Camacho, who co-owns the hotel with his ex-wife Luisa Botelho, showed us around the property. He pointed sadl and said: “Look, there are swimsuits that belong to guests that they have had to leave as the evacuation happened so quickly.”
He said they were now planning a rebuilding project. Paulo, who used to live in Richmond, South West London, said: “It’s incredible no one was injured. But we do need a proper full investigation into what happened.” Portuguese officials said making sure the fires do not move south towards the Algarve was their “maximum priority”. Civil protection commander Andre Fernandes said: “The strategy on the ground are keeping the fire dominated.”
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