DESPITE LARGE scale fires that devasted the Sintra-Cascais National Park and other areas in northern Portugal last week, the Secretary of State for Rural and Forest Development has declared 2007 the safest year this century.
Soon after starting at 11am on Thursday in Pernigem, the fire spread quickly towards Fontanelas and Gouveia in the Sintra area and was dangerously close to Morelinhos by the afternoon, seven kilometres from where it originally started.
Several houses in the small town of Morelinhos were in danger of the fire but none were burnt. A special fire fighting team, the Grupo de Análise e Uso do Fogo from the Direcção Geral de Florestas, the forest management organisation, tried to stop the fire reaching the town by creating a large barrier but to no avail.
Intense flames and strong winds caused small fires to ignite inside the town of Morelinhos, but these were quickly put out before any harm was done.
In total, 463 fire men were present around the affected areas to combat the flames, evacuate people from the homes in danger and avoid the spread of the fire to the Serra de Sintra. There were also 128 vehicles, one helicopter and all four heavy aero tank planes which are available to the country.
Due to the alarming nature of the fire, which by 5pm had five active fronts, several people went to view the fire fighting efforts including Fernando Seara, President of Sintra Câmara, Ascenso Simões, Secretary of State for Civil Protection, and General Arnaldo Cruz, President of the National Authority of Civil Protection.
At 8pm, the fire was finally declared put out by the authorities, which were led by Elísio Oliveira, District Commander of Emergency Operations in Lisbon, and Gil Martins, National Commander of Emergency Operations.
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Other fires have started during the course of the week in other areas of Portugal, but these have since been put out. A fire in Seia, in the Guarda District in the north of Portugal, started at 10.30pm on August 25 and was combated by 126 firemen with 33 fire trucks. The fire only burnt forested areas and did not threaten any settlements.
Another fire in Outeiro, in the county of Pombal, Coimbra, which burnt part of a eucalyptus forest was combated by 161 firemen with 42 fire trucks.
Despite this, Rui Nobre Gonçalves, Secretary of State for Rural and Forest Development, said: “The balance is very positive and the fact that, during this century, this is the year with the least number of fires and burnt land is a good sign that things are on the right track”.
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