At least 29 people have been left homeless after a fire swept through prefabricated homes in Faro’s Horta da Areia neighbourhood this Tuesday afternoon (October 13).
The blaze affected two adjoining homes with additional annexes, with flames spreading rapidly through the structures, according to Faro firefighters.
Among those displaced are several children and a baby aged around one year, although none of the residents was injured.
One firefighter was taken to hospital suffering from exhaustion but his condition was not considered serious, deputy Faro fire commander Edgar Gonçalves told RTP.
The fire broke out shortly after lunchtime and was declared under control at around 2.30pm.
Gonçalves described the affected buildings as two pre-fabricated homes with adjoining structures. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
At around 3pm, 42 emergency personnel and 16 vehicles remained at the scene as operations moved towards the damping-down phase.
The people forced from their homes were initially taken to Faro Municipal Library, while Civil Protection began assessing the needs of the affected families.
Municipal Civil Protection coordinator Rui Graça said the first option would be to find accommodation with relatives or friends.
For those without somewhere to stay, the municipality was preparing an emergency reception area at the municipal swimming pools, where people could spend the night with basic support and comfort.
Michael Bruxo
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.