Portugal battles massive Vouzela forest fire as EU aid arrives

A forest fire ignited on Thursday morning in Tourelhe, a parish of Cambra near Vouzela, quickly spread to the neighbouring municipalities of Oliveira de Frades, Tondela and Águeda in the Viseu and Aveiro districts. By the weekend the blaze had consumed between 12,000 and 13,000 hectares (over 100,000 acres) of forest and agricultural land, destroying a wood‑product factory and livestock facilities.

More than 1,200–1,300 firefighters, supported by roughly 400 vehicles and a fleet of aerial assets, have been deployed. Spain sent 118 firefighters and 45 support vehicles; Italy contributed two Canadair water‑bombers; additional assistance arrived from Morocco under bilateral civil‑protection agreements. The European Civil‑Protection Mechanism was activated, prompting rapid mobilisation of resources across the EU.

The fire has caused at least nine injuries, two of them serious, and the official tally later rose to 47 injured, including two in critical condition. No fatalities have been reported. High temperatures of up to 44 °C have intensified the blaze, leading to red‑alert warnings in nine Portuguese districts.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro thanked the European Commission, quoting Ursula von der Leyen’s statement that “Europe is with Portugal”, and highlighted the “rapid mobilisation” of EU support. Authorities continue to monitor several active fronts, with some areas entering a controlled “rescaldo” phase while evacuations of vulnerable residents have been carried out where necessary.