Portugal’s association of insurers (APS) has announced that the damage covered by insurance following the wildfires that broke out in Monchique amounts to over €2 million.
There were 118 cases of damages covered by insurance policies totaling exactly €2,108,484, the association announced on Wednesday.
Out of the total losses, 100 were covered by household insurance and 11 by commercial and industrial insurance policies.
In other words, the damage to houses amounts to around €1.7 million with €269,000 referring to commercial and industrial properties.
There were also four claims for personal accidents and accidents at work, with €7,280 already paid out or to be paid.
The association added that it has not yet received claims for insured vehicles destroyed in the fires.
For seven days, fires raged in Monchique and then spread to the neighbouring boroughs of Portimão and Silves.
Flames consumed over 27,000 hectares and injured 41 people, one of whom was left in serious condition.
Meantime, the government has announced that it has launched a €5 million programme to help farmers affected by the wildfires in Monchique.
The goal is to “minimise the losses endured by farmers” and help them rebuild destroyed infrastructures and purchase new animals or farming equipment.
The funding programme is open to farmers who have invested between €100 and €800,000 in their business.
If farmers apply for €5,000 or less, they are entitled to a 100% grant. If they apply for over €5,000 or under €50,000, they will receive an 85% grant, while any request for funding over €50,000 will only be covered by 50%.
Bids can be presented until September 30 by farmers with property in the affected areas, which include the boroughs of Monchique (Alferce and Monchique), Odemira (Sabóia and São Teotónio), Portimão (Mexilhoeira Grande and Portimão) and Silves (São Bartolomeu de Messines, São Marcos da Serra and Silves).
PSD demands timeline
Portugal’s social-democratic party (PSD) has made an urgent request for access to the timeline of the Monchique fires, as well as all paperwork related to the firefighting efforts that were carried out.
“In name of the transparency that is demandable of the government, the PSP parliamentary group considers it is important to have access to the timeline of the Monchique fire,” reads the request formally delivered to Parliament on Wednesday.
Fire won’t affect Algarve tourism
João Fernandes, the Algarve’s new tourism boss, has guaranteed that the fires that ripped through the Monchique hills won’t have a profound effect on the regional tourism sector though he lamented the damage caused.
“As the Algarve is such an internationally known destination, these kinds of occurrences have an impact that wouldn’t be felt in other places that do not have such exposure,” he said in an interview with Dinheiro Vivo website.
However, he acknowledged that several tourists had to be evacuated from resorts in the area and that promoting nature tourism in Monchique has now become harder.
“It will be natural if demand shrinks in the area. But if you ask me if the Algarve will be hit hard because of it … no. Monchique is small compared to the size of a region like the Algarve,” he said.
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
Photo: BRUNO FILIPE PIRES/OPEN MEDIA GROUP
