The Judiciary Police (PJ) suspects that the rural fire in Odemira has started in a picnic park, and is investigating whether it originated from negligent or intentional behaviour, a police source revealed today.
The same source told the Lusa agency that the fire started in a picnic area near the town of São Miguel and that ongoing investigations aim to clarify whether the fire resulted from negligent or willful behaviour.
According to the source of the PJ, the investigation is in charge of the Portimão Criminal Investigation Department of this police.
A team of investigators is on the ground today listening to witnesses and collecting information about the fire, as happened on Sunday, he added.
The fire in an area of bush and pine forest broke out in the Baiona area, in the parish of São Teotónio, in the Alentejo municipality of Odemira, mid-afternoon on Saturday, and reached the Algarve municipalities of Aljezur and Monchique.
the fire entered in resolution at 10:15 am today, after having reached about 8.400 hectares.
the flames destroyed at least two houses and a rural tourism unit, in addition to several annexes, said this morning the presidents of the municipalities, in a press conference.
Also at the command post installed in São Teotónio, the regional commander of Emergency and Civil Protection of the Algarve, Vítor Vaz Pinto, said that around the perimeter of the fire there are few active flames.
However, he underlined it is expected that there will be “many reactivations throughout the day”, because the wind has changed quadrant and “will affect mainly the south front”, which touches the municipalities of Monchique and Aljezur, where the flames have also entered.
At 16 pm, 30 operators, 1.115 vehicles and 368 aircraft remained on site.
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