The fire that started on Friday afternoon has become unstoppable, with people living in outlying parts of the town of Monchique now being evacuated to the centre as flames close in and threaten to destroy houses, several in outlying settlements are reported to be alight.
Hundreds of people already have been removed from the village of Cruz dos Madeiros (300 metres from Monchique) as the flames continue to advance rapidly and a major evacuation of the town is now underway.
This was ‘worst case’ scenario predicated earlier today as the twin fire fronts converged on the municipal capital.
The wind is intense and driving the fire despite the best efforts of now exhausted firefighters.
RTP reports explosions in the area.
One further fear is that the fire will leap to the southern slopes of the Serra da Monchique and continue to head south through areas of higher population - early reports say this already is the case.
Eduardo Cabrita, Minister of Internal Affairs, said it was "important to rely on the operational personnel on the ground and stressed the orderly way people were following instructions given by the authorities on the scene.
"I just wanted to convey, at this moment, a demonstration of total confidence and total solidarity in the thousands of firefighters, the GNR, the Armed Forces, the entire Civil Protection structure, the cooperating entities on the ground and an exemplary cooperation with the Municipality of Monchique," said Cabrita on Sunday evening.
Buses are standing by for a full scale evacuation of the town's inhabitants, if things get worse.
Christos Stylianides, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, said that the EU is "closely following" the alarming situation that has unfolded in the Algarve and that it is "available to help."
The national commander of Civil Protection, Duarte da Costa, said on Sunday that houses could be lost in the fire which has forced the withdrawal of the population to the town centre on Sunday night for security reasons.
"In a cluster of small settlements, there may have been isolated houses that may have suffered from the flames," said the national operational commander of the National Civil Protection Authority, Duarte da Costa, during a press conference at the headquarters of the National Authority for Civil Protection (ANPC), in Carnaxide, Oeiras.
UPDATE - MONDAY MORNING
Many houses at the edges of Monchique have been destroyed as the fire hit the town last night. Residents were evacuated to the town centre as over 1,000 firefighters attempted to halt the blaze that now has crossed over to the southern slopes of the hillside and had edged north into the Alentejo municipality of Odemira..
The helicopters and airplanes are not back in action this morning, hampered by smoke. The fire, although calmer than last night’s wind-driven inferno, has managed to outwit and outweigh valiant attempts to put it out. The fire has progressed on two fronts: one towards Caldas de Monchique and Vale do Boi and another on the way to the parish of São Marcos da Serra.
Firebreaks have been dug with an estimated 50 machines working through the night but the area covered, the high temperatures and mountaintop winds have caused perfect storm conditions.
The town was wreathed in smoke this morning as residents too stock of what has been lost. The fire remains close by the town and, as feared, crossed to the south side of the Serra da Monchique last night and is tearing through dry scrubland and forest in the Silves and Portimão municipalities.
The last big fire in the Monchique area was in 2003, since which time eucalyptus forests have been replanted.
The new scrub clearance laws resulting from the 2017 fires in Pedrógão Grande, the municipality’s impressive state of readiness and the massive dedication of local and national firefighting resources have done little to actually stop the fire which is being tracked by international media.
Caldas de Monchique, The MacDonald hotel, the Montinho urbanisation and nearby settlements on the southern slopes were evacuated at dawn as the flames head towards the coast. Vale Boi and Rasmalho also have been cleared of inhabitants.
Safe Communities Portugal has the following official information for readers:
Monchique fire protection advice from the government:
http://www.safecommunitiesportugal.com/monchique-fire-protection-and-advice-from-government/
and download this .pdf file 'Safe Village Safe People - Protecting yourself against rural fires'
Flames ever closer to the town of Monchique - observador.pt/ 22:00 Sunday 05 August
