In a briefing to the media on rural fires, made at 13:10, in Carnaxide, municipality of Oeiras, the National Commander of Emergency and Civil Protection, André Fernandes, referred to "three significant occurrences" - in Odemira (district of Beja), Cinfães and Mangualde (both in the district of Viseu), the former being "the one that deserves greater concern".

"The Odemira fire has already reached an area of about 7,000 hectares", especially "extensive areas of pine forest and mixed forest such as eucalyptus, cork oaks, arbutus trees and bushes", said the national commander, considering it to be "a difficult area".

Due to the fire, 20 villages and a campsite were evacuated, and a total of 1,424 people have been evacuated.

André Fernandes also underlined that the weather conditions in that area will remain unfavourable, due to the heat and dry wind, but the next 24 hours will be essential to prevent the fire from progressing to the Monchique mountain range, in the Algarve.

In addition to the weather conditions, the national commander explained that the characteristics of the terrain have also complicated the fight against the fire, as they make it difficult for the teams to progress.

During the morning, the regional commander of Emergency and Civil Protection of Alentejo, José Ribeiro, had already informed that the fight against the fire in Odemira allowed "stabilization of the perimeter of the fire", but there are still two critical points of concern, to the north, in the Delfeira area, and to the south, on the front-facing Monchique.

According to information available on the website of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, the fire that started in São Teotónio (Odemira) on Saturday mobilised the most resources at 07:30am, with a total of 841 operators, supported by 284 vehicles.

The rural fire in an area of bush and pine forest broke out in the Baiona area, in the parish of São Teotónio, in the middle of Saturday afternoon, and has already entered the Algarve a few times, having on Monday afternoon surrounded the center of Odeceixe.