Portugal: After 12 days of progress, Madeira fire is 'completely under control'

“We can't say yet at this stage that it's been extinguished, because the fire was very big and there may still be hot spots,” said Antonio Nunes, head of the regional civil protection service, but “it's completely under control,” according to the Lusa news agency. The advance of the fire has already been significantly slowed down, thanks to the intervention of two Spanish water-bombing planes, which arrived as reinforcements last Thursday, as part of the European Civil Protection Mechanism activated by Portugal.

Twelve days of anxiety

The fire broke out on August 14 in the municipality of Ribeira Brava and then spread to the neighbouring municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol, located on the southern coast of the island, west of the regional capital Funchal. According to the latest estimates provided by the European Copernicus Observatory (EMS), the fire destroyed an area of ​​5,045 hectares before running out of steam, reaching the top of the mountains in the centre of the island. According to local authorities, the fire caused no injuries and did not destroy any homes.

The head of the institute said that the burned vegetation consisted mostly of “exotic jungle and worthless forest”, and that the heart of the Madeira laurel forest, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the Forests and Nature Conservation of Madeira, Manuel Filipe, was saved. Madeira is called the “Pearl of the Atlantic” and is located 500 km from the Moroccan coast. It receives thousands of tourists every year, attracted by its volcanic landscapes and mild climate.