Tondela municipality launches mitigation plan after Caramulo mountain wildfire

A wildfire ignited on 2 February at 03:04 in Tourelhe, within the parishes of Cambra and Carvalhal de Ermidas in Vouzela (Viseu district). The fire, the largest in Portugal so far this year, burned more than 15,000 hectares, was declared under control on 5 February at 12:40, and caused two serious and six minor injuries. Over 1,200 firefighters and other personnel fought the blaze, which affected the municipalities of Vouzela, Tondela, Oliveira de Frades (Viseu) and Águeda (Aveiro).

The Tondela City Council, led by President Carla Antunes Borges, is working with University of Aveiro landscape‑recovery specialist Professor Carlos Fonseca to draft a package of mitigation measures. The plan will first assess the fire impacts on water quality and slope erosion, then propose actions such as re‑vegetating the area with resilient native species, managing fuel loads, and creating protective vegetation strips around the industrial zones of Lajedo and Adiça. Borges emphasized the need to protect both the environment and local businesses from future fire damage.