“The situation has worsened. With the wind, the fire has ended up spreading to new fronts and is close to the houses in the village of Bornes de Aguiar. We are requesting air resources, the problem is that, given the national situation, it is difficult to have this response here”, Ana Rita Dias told Lusa news agency, in a situation update made at 13:15.

The fire has three active fronts and, according to the mayor, the request is also for more land resources to help in the fight.

“We are here within a 100-metre radius of homes and we are becoming concerned,” she said, stressing that the priority of the resources is to protect homes.

The alert for this fire was given at 7:36 am and, according to the website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), by 1:20 pm, 123 firefighters, 33 vehicles and one aircraft were mobilised to fight the fire.

Due to the forecast of a high risk of fire across the country, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) has increased the state of alert and readiness of emergency resources to the highest level for today and Tuesday.

Following the alert from civil protection entities, the Government also declared a State of Alert for the entire mainland until 11:59 pm on Tuesday with exceptional measures due to the increased risk of rural fires.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), more than 100 municipalities in the districts of Faro, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Santarém, Leiria, Coimbra, Guarda, Aveiro, Viseu, Porto, Bragança, Vila Real, Viana do Castelo and Braga are currently at maximum risk of fire.

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