People affected by Portugal’s recent wildfires could start receiving government support in just 10 days, the Minister of Economy and Social Cohesion announced after meeting with local mayors from fire-hit regions in the Centre and North.
Applications for financial aid will open next week, Manuel Castro Almeida said today. Victims will need to submit their forms at their local town halls, which will forward them for review.
The government expects up to five times more applications than last year, with losses possibly exceeding €30 million. Around 5,000 small farmers in the North alone are expected to apply.
Almeida said most mayors praised the work of Civil Protection during the fires, though some pointed out failures. “Not everything went perfectly, but the overwhelming majority were satisfied,” he said. This has not been the general feedback from citizens from affected populations, which have reported a serious lack of support and coordination from civil protection forces.
When asked about declaring a state of calamity (as requested by fire-ravaged municipalities such as Sabugal), he explained that the option is still being considered but comes with both benefits and drawbacks. “Some municipalities would gain from it, others would not,” he said. “It’s a subject that is not consensual and has to be well thought-out.
The minister also revealed that the Agriculture Minister will present a 25-year forest management plan at Thursday’s Council of Ministers meeting in Viseu. “I hope there can be national consensus around this,” Almeida added.
The council is expected to approve emergency support measures during that meeting.
So far this year, more than 222,000 hectares have burned across Portugal.
