The U.S. Embassy in Lisbon cautions U.S. citizens of a large number of ongoing wildfires in central and northern Portugal. On October 16, the Portuguese government declared a state of public disaster (situação de calamidade pública) for all districts north of the Tejo River, in response to the hundreds of wildfires being reported. According to the National Civil Protection Authority, various fires continue to burn in many parts of the country, including the districts of Aveiro, Braga, Castelo-Banco, Coimbra, Guarda, and Viseu. All U.S. citizens living in or traveling to central or northern Portugal should monitor local news reports, follow directions from local officials, and take appropriate action as needed.
Additional information:
Information about impacted districts: http://www.prociv.pt/en-us/SITUACAOOPERACIONAL/Pages/ocorrenciassignificativas.aspx
Road closures: http://www.gnr.pt/ultimahora.aspx?linha=7506
Map of fires in Portugal: https://fogos.pt/
For further information about security in Portugal:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Portugal’s Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Portugal, located at Avenida das Forças Armadas, in the neighborhood of Sete Rios near the Jardim Zoológico, at + (351) 21-770-2122, 08:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +(351) 21-727-3300.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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