Porto, Aug. 20, 2025 (Lusa) - A man who was seriously injured in the fire in Sabugal on Tuesday has "extensive burns" and is being "assessed and stabilised" in the emergency department of the Hospital de São João in Porto, a hospital source told Lusa.

A source at Porto's São João Hospital said on Tuesday night that the victim "has extensive burns and is being assessed and stabilised in the A&E (emergency department).

A 45-year-old Afocelca operative (a forest protection company owned by the Altri and Navigator pulp groups) was seriously injured while fighting a fire in the municipality of Sabugal, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) said in a press release sent to the Lusa news agency.

"The seriously injured man was stabilised at the scene by emergency teams and later transported by INEM helicopter to São João Hospital in Porto," it added.

According to an Afocelca source contacted by Lusa, the employee was part of a team of five men from the company.

The other four suffered minor injuries and were assisted at the scene by INEM teams.

A source from the Beiras and Serra da Estrela Sub-Regional Command told Lusa that the alert for the injuries was given at 16:46, in the Vale da Senhora da Póvoa area, a town in the municipality of Penamacor, on the border with the neighbouring municipality of Sabugal.

The fire burning in Sabugal, in the district of Guarda, has moved to Penamacor, in the district of Castelo Branco, precisely in the Vale da Senhora da Póvoa area.

According to the website of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority, the fire in Sabugal has been active since 14:41 on Friday and was being fought at 00:20 on Wednesday by 450 operatives, supported by 124 vehicles.

DMC/ADB // ADB.

Lusa