The Madeira Island fire broke out on August 14 in the mountains of the municipality of Ribeira Brava. It gradually spread over several days to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and, via Pico Ruivo, Santana.
Fortunately, the authorities stated that the fire is now dying down and, according to the president of Madeira’s Regional Civil Protection Service, it may even be extinguished today. The authorities state that the 100% humidity and dense fog on the island today “will be a “great help.”
The night teams were replaced and a helicopter flew over the region to assess the situation. At 3:00 pm, there was still a fire close to some houses, but the work of Canadair has kept the flames under control. The fight against the fire was hindered by the wind and high temperatures, but there were no reports of homes or essential infrastructure being destroyed.
António Nunes, president of Madeira’s Regional Civil Protection Service, confirmed that the fog helped to control some areas. However, there are still some hot spots to which special attention is being paid and that are intended to be eliminated throughout the day.
There are likely to be some reignitions, as is normal during this phase of the fight, but hundreds of men are still on the ground, and the Spanish Canadair planes are still in Madeira. No decision has yet been made on when they might return to Spain, although the Civil Protection admits that this could happen on Monday or Tuesday.
Note that some firefighters received assistance due to exhaustion or minor injuries, but there were no other casualties.
When it comes to the causes of the fire, the Portuguese Judiciary Police is investigating. However, Miguel Albuquerque, the President of Madeira’s Regional Government, said it was arson.
