Wildfires destroyed just 12 hectares of land in Loulé
Loulé has hailed the 2023 wildfire season as “very positive,” with the borough registering only 12 hectares of burned area between July 1 and October 31 – one of the lowest numbers since 2004.
The announcement was made this week during a meeting of the Municipal Commission for the Defense of the Forest Against Fires of the Municipality of Loulé.
Several factors were named as vital to limit the amount of burned area in the municipality, such as the reinforcement of available firefighting means and equipment, and increased surveillance and prevention.
Despite the dry and hot weather throughout the wildfire season, the municipal council says “there was a great commitment from all entities involved.”
The council also maintained its protocol with the No.1 Infantry Regiment of the Portuguese Army and GNR Police to patrol the municipality’s rural areas in search of any hint of burgeoning wildfires.
Despite the relatively “small burned area,” Loulé Mayor Vítor Aleixo does not want the municipality to rest on its laurels.
“We have to continue working and take a qualitative leap by strengthening coordination and coordination in fire prevention, as fires nowadays are quite complex. Therefore, it is necessary to continue investing in human resources and means, since dry periods will be increasingly longer, and political decisions will have to take all these factors into account,” he said.
Aleixo added that the council will “continue to work and develop its strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change and, consequently, rural fires, contributing to an increasingly resilient territory”.
michael.bruxo@portugalresident.com
