At around 5.30am on Thursday, 20 August, firefighters said the situation had improved significantly overnight, with the fire reduced to a single active front.

Around 600 emergency personnel remained deployed in the area as efforts continued to bring the remaining fire under control.

The fire began on Monday evening in Bouceguedim, in the parish of Urrô, and quickly spread through the heavily forested municipality.

At its most difficult stage, several fronts were active at the same time, and a number of villages were considered at risk.

RTP reported earlier in the week that firefighters were facing particularly difficult conditions in some areas, where the terrain made ground access impossible, and the flames could only be fought from the air.

By Wednesday evening, around 1,300 hectares were estimated to have been affected by the fire, Renascença reported.

Despite the scale of the blaze, authorities said on Wednesday evening that nearby villages were no longer considered to be in immediate danger.

The operation has also left four firefighters injured.

The firefighters, from the Arouca Volunteer Fire Brigade, were travelling in a firefighting vehicle when it left the road while they were responding to the fire.

Three of the four suffered serious injuries and were taken to Hospital de Santa Maria da Feira, RTP reported.

The fire has required a large response throughout the week and has been one of the biggest wildfires currently being fought in Portugal.

Arouca is particularly vulnerable to forest fires, with around 85% of the municipality's territory covered by forest.

Firefighters remain in the area today, with efforts focused on the remaining active front and preventing the fire from spreading or reigniting in areas already affected.