Local Official Confirms Fire Has Reached Pico Ruivo
The wildfire that has been raging across Madeira for the past seven days has now reached the island’s highest peak, Pico Ruivo. The news was confirmed late Tuesday by Márcio Dinarte Fernandes, the president of the Santana City Council, through a social media post.
Emergency Response Team Forced to Retreat
Márcio Dinarte Fernandes was on his way to Pico Ruivo to deliver supplies to a team of firefighters stationed near the Casa de Abrigo, a shelter on the mountain. However, before reaching the site, it became evident that the flames had already reached the summit. The firefighters and the shelter’s caretaker were forced to retreat back to Achada do Teixeira for safety.
Urgent Calls for Immediate Aerial Support
In his Facebook post, Fernandes urgently called for additional resources, particularly a helicopter, to combat the fire at Pico Ruivo early Wednesday morning. His plea underscores the challenging conditions that emergency teams are facing as the wildfire continues to spread across the island. It also raises th question why, after a week of devastation and thousands of hectares reduced to ashes, was the air support not mobilized more swiftly and from the EU?
Flames Also Threaten Pico Canário
In a previous update, Fernandes noted that the flames had already begun to consume vegetation around Pico Canário, another significant peak on the island. The situation remains critical as the fire shows no signs of abating, despite ongoing efforts to control it.
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