What are the names and locations of the wildfires?
As of August 19, 2026, multiple active wildfires are burning across northern Portugal.
The most significant blaze started on Saturday, August 16, in the parish of Cabeça Boa in the municipality of Torre de Moncorvo, in the northeastern district of Bragança, and has since spread to the neighbouring municipality of Carrazeda de Ansiães (1).
Additional fires are burning in Arouca in the district of Aveiro, and in Santo Tirso in Porto's Metropolitan Area.
Which cities or areas are affected by the wildfires?
Active wildfires are affecting several communities across northern Portugal, including:
- Arouca, Aveiro
- Carrazeda de Ansiães and Torre de Moncorvo, Bragança
- Santo Tirso, Porto Metropolitan Area
What is the current containment status of the wildfires?
The Torre de Moncorvo blaze had one active front in the early afternoon of August 18, with local authorities hoping to declare it under control shortly after and move into the mop-up phase.
The Arouca fire had four active fronts as of Tuesday morning, with more than 300 firefighters, around 100 vehicles, and two aircraft deployed. In Santo Tirso, around 200 personnel and more than 60 vehicles remained engaged.
In total, more than 2,000 emergency personnel and approximately 20 aircraft are actively deployed across all fronts (2).
Are there any evacuation orders or alerts in place?
Civil Protection has adopted preventive safety measures in communities near the Arouca fire to safeguard homes and lives.
Nine districts have been placed under orange weather warning by the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, with the rest of mainland Portugal, except Lisbon, Setúbal, and Faro, under yellow warning.
Maximum temperatures above 40°C are expected across several regions, with northern and central inland areas facing very high to maximum wildfire risk (3).
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Always plan ahead to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.
- Get a free air quality app for real-time air quality alerts and forecasts.
- Shut doors and windows and set the HVAC to recirculate mode.
- Run a high-performance air purifier to filter wildfire smoke.
- Contribute to your community’s outdoor air quality data.
- Stay indoors; if you do need to go outdoors, wear a KN95/FFP2 mask.
