Portugal rules out extending the alert for the fires due to the improvement in the situation

Aug. 22 () –

The Government of Portugal has announced that it will not extend the state of alert decreed to combat forest fires, which will expire at midnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, due to the improvement of the situation and the reduction of risk.

The Minister of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, explained at a press conference that a “significant” improvement in weather conditions is expected from Wednesday, so he does not see the need to extend an alert that, among other measures, implies limits in agricultural work or in access to forest areas.

However, he has warned that “special care” is still necessary to prevent the country from returning to a worrying situation, according to the Lusa news agency. Eight fires were still active this Monday in Portugal.

The country is already approaching 100,000 hectares burned this year, after one of the worst summers in recent years. One of the most voracious fires has been that of the Sierra de la Estrella, where the Government of António Costa plans to declare a state of calamity to raise the level of aid.