Wildfires cause water cuts, power outages in centre of country

Sixteen localities in Leiria, central Portugal, are without mains water supply on Wednesday, a source from the Municipal Water and Sanitation Services (SMAS) told Lusa on Wednesday but added that the interruption did not affect the fight against fires.

“At this moment, the localities that are still without water are located in the Union of Parishes of Colmeias and Memória,” the source said, explaining that “the water supply in these localities was interrupted due to the power failure that occurred in this area, highly affected by the fires”.

In information sent to Lusa at 11:45 am, the company clarified that  access to the place “was prevented during the night, but “all the means to re-establish the power (in articulation with E-REDES) and the water supply to the population” began this morning.

“This interruption in the water supply did not affect the fight against the fires, as alternative points for filling the tankers were indicated,” the company said, guaranteeing it was vigilant and aligned with civil protection, as well as having “emergency equipment to ensure the continuity of water supply to the population.

Stressing that this was an “extreme situation”, the company also made a “strong appeal to the population to use the water from the public network, only for human consumption and for priority uses.”

According to Leiria’s water company, the localities affected by the lack of water are Colmeias, Farraposa, Lameiria, Valongo, Outeiro da Lameira, Outeiro da Lameiria, Barreiro, Barrosa, Crasto, Feijão, Lagares, Lourais, Memória, Casal do Monte, Portela do Outeiro and Tôco.

The electricity distribution network management company E-REDES registered some occurrences of power interruption concerning low voltage in the municipalities of Ourém, Ansião, Leiria and Pombal due to fires.

“At this moment, there are some occurrences of power interruption related to low voltage in the municipalities of Ourém, Ansião, Leiria and Pombal, which are being restored progressively, in line with the requests we are receiving and the indications of the competent local structures,” said official source of E-REDES to Lusa news agency.

Mainland Portugal is in a contingency situation until 11:59 pm Friday due to weather forecasts, which indicate the worsening of the fire risk, with temperatures that may exceed 45º Celcius in some parts of the country.

The contingency situation corresponds to the second level of response provided for in the law of Civil Protection. It is declared when given the occurrence or imminence of a major accident or catastrophe.

Most districts in mainland Portugal are under a red warning, the most serious, due to hot weather, with more than a hundred municipalities in maximum danger of rural fire, according to the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere.