“It’s been more or less 10 years. As soon as the vegetation reaches a level where it can burn, it happens. This is cyclical here. It was in 2005, it was in 2016 during the big fires in Arouca and it’s now. This time it hasn’t even been 10 years.” Bruno Miguel is closely following the fire that is burning less than a kilometre away. The flames are approaching the small village of Telhe, on the other side of the Paivó river, high up on the hillside.

It is just after lunchtime and the smoke covers the vegetation around this place. It is already difficult to breathe. Together with his wife, he bets that the flames will follow the same path they did eight and 19 years ago. “It is true, it is always like this. The path is always similar. It comes from the bottom of the Serra de São Macário, from São Pedro do Sul, then it passes through there, which are those hills below, then it is Telhe and continues to where we are, to Ponte de Telhe, it passes through the place of Cela, which is where I live, and from Cela it reaches Arouca.”

With her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on the flames, the woman shows signs of agreement. You have seen it happen too. Bruno does not understand who has the power to decide and coordinate the management: “It is curious. The route is always the same, how come there is nothing here? A line of prevention, everything that can be done to combat the foreseeable. It always happens the same way.”

On the road through the village of Ponte de Telhe, everyone is talking about the fire, saying that “the fire is calmer today than in previous years.” It is just after two in the afternoon and cars are parked on the side of the road and it is practically rush hour at the central café “Rocha”. From there you can see the flames on top of the mountain and, what’s more, 200 metres further on, the GNR is no longer letting anyone on the road leading to Telhe. Minis, coffees and advice are served to those who pass by with surprised looks. “Here we know what this is. You can come here next to me and from here you can see exactly where it burns,” says Mavilde, while greeting a journalist. “This is scary for those who have never seen it. I don’t like to see it either, but I know what it is like.”

Mavilde has a dark knitted sweater on his back that is already covered in ash. He is not wearing a mask, but he knows he must be careful. He exchanges smiles with passersby and chides a neighbour for asking his age: “I can only say that he is 8 years old.” Still, minutes later, he reveals that he has lived on these slopes for 60 years. Asked if he is afraid, he replies that he has seen worse. “A few years ago they had to take me out of the house. I didn’t want to go, but they took me. Today we will see what it is like. We are keeping an eye on it, but the way it burns it should reach here.”

Mavilda’s prediction is not entirely wrong. As the sun sets, José Gonçalves, commander of the Arouca fire brigade, gives the Observer an overview of the situation: “There are two active fronts. It is burning at a low intensity, slowly losing strength. The means are there to carry out prevention. The night helps. There is another front that is more active and where we have more resources and in combat. It is a front with a much larger burnt surface. It is pine and eucalyptus, it is a forest area. There is a part that is next to the river and we have to make sure that it does not pass through. It is in Ponte de Telhe.

Operators have been fighting the fires in the region for more than 24 hours without stopping, but the contingent remains on the ground, with a reinforced nighttime presence in the small town next to the Paivó River.

It is already after ten o’clock at night and the Fonte de Telhe road seems to be more crowded than in the afternoon. It is a bright night. On the other side of the Paivó river, the flames shine a few metres away, separated by the flowing water laden with ashes. In the sky, the full moon is tinged orange due to the dense smoke covering the region.

“There are people here who are not from here. They came to see. They need to know if the fire is crossing the river to decide what to do next,” says a resident upon seeing so much equipment.

At the moment there are more young people than old, but there are grey hairs that need to be calmed down with the help of memory: “This fire is like a child compared to the previous ones. That is why they are managing to control it. The wind probably also helped.” Jorge lives in a neighbouring village and knows what could happen in the next few hours. “It is going down, but slowly, it does not gallop like we have seen before. But the route is the same as always, everyone already knows it. Here we practically treat you like a neighbour.”

Bruno Miguel’s gamble ended up not being entirely successful, but in Ponte de Telhe it became customary to have flames at the door. Those who live here already know that the fire returns, there are predictions of when it will happen, but we do not know how devastating it could be.

“Look, the fire reaches you in an instant.” The essential minutes to avoid disasters

Further north in the municipality of Arouca, smoke and ash can also be felt, as the flames spread out of control. In Aldeia de Cima, half a dozen cars are parked next to the café “O Soares”.

Those who rest there have their eyes fixed on the top of the mountain. Ernesto Duarte only stopped by for a coffee, but he knows how to explain what is happening: “A quarter of an hour ago, the fire started there. We don’t know how it happens. It is there where there are many trees near the houses.”

It is 3.15pm and there are no firefighters around, but there are neighbours who already know what to do. In an open-top van, two men are filling a water tank to fight the flames, and further ahead another van with more children is moving forward.

The area is difficult to access. After leaving the municipal road, you enter a narrow street with only room for one car and a steep slope. Two minutes by car and you are next to the house with the fire nearby. You can see that it is a recent construction.

There are no firefighters around yet, but the small fire has already burned down a large eucalyptus tree and is already spreading to others of similar size. A dozen men, young men and even two children, are fighting as best they can. The fire is on top of a hill, on very steep terrain, and there is no water. The flames are fought with large branches. The fire is pushed against the ground so as not to climb the eucalyptus trees. It is a fight that lasts, but each gust of wind destroys the work of the previous minutes.

Older people stand by the narrow path, commenting on what they see there and advising those who venture up the mountain: “Come down. Look how fast the fire burns. It reaches you in an instant.” The prudence of someone who has seen worse things.

After almost an hour of fighting, the first firefighters appeared at around 4.30 pm. The situation is calmer now and with the arrival of those with the right tools the situation will be resolved. For now.

“The walkways are the least of it.” Even during the fire, tourist attractions blend into the landscape

The fire is spreading aimlessly on the outskirts of Arouca. In the morning, the wind carried the flames to the main tourist attractions of this region, the Passadiços do Paiva and the Ponte 516, known for being one of the largest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world. At the beginning of the week, it was forbidden to travel in these places, but the fires follow other rules.

The forest and the burning bush are joined by the wooden path installed on the banks of the Paiva River. It is not a priority when it comes to fighting. Operators are fighting to save homes, industries and lives. The footbridge business is relegated to the background. At the end of the afternoon at the volunteer fire station in Arouca they say that “it is sad, but it is the least of it. There are other priorities. It has to be like this.”

To talk about Arouca is to talk about an area classified as a UNESCO Geopark. The Paiva Trails are an essential tourist spot so that anyone visiting the region can safely explore this heritage. There are almost 10 kilometres of wooden paths that have won the World Travel Awards four times. With the fire, this path was partially destroyed. The municipality lists about 2 km, but there are still flames in the surroundings.