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A forest fire has consumed at least 5,000 hectares of vegetation on the Portuguese island of Madeira in five days, local authorities said, adding on Monday that two of the three fire fronts that were still active the day before had been brought under control.

The fire started on Wednesday in the municipality of Ribeira Brava and spread to the neighbouring towns of Camara de Lobos and Ponta do Sol, located on the southern coast of the tourist island, about 1,000 kilometres southwest of Lisbon.

“So far there are no victims to mourn, no homes consumed by fire and no essential infrastructure destroyed,” regional president Miguel Albuquerque said at a press conference on Sunday evening.

The flames spread through steep and difficult-to-access areas, fueled by wind and heat, threatening several towns and forcing the mobilization of nearly 200 firefighters.

Some 160 people were evacuated on Sunday as a precaution, mainly because of the risk of smoke inhalation. However, by Monday many of those residents had been able to return to their homes.

The mayor of Camara de Lobos, Leonel Silva, told local media on Monday that the two active fronts in the town had been brought under control. “The situation is under control and the fire is practically extinguished,” he said, according to the Lusa news agency.

A fire is still active in the municipality of Ponta do Sol, but it does not pose any risk to homes, according to the mayor, Celia Pessegueiro.

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