By PAULO SILVESTRE paulo.silvestre@theresidentgroup.com
July was the worst month for fires in Portugal since 2005, with 5,524 registered across the country in the month.
This total was more than double the number registered in the same month last year.
According to the National Forest Authority, AFN, the first day of July saw 295 fires and the last day of the month 222 fires.
The data released by AFN reported that there were 1,616 fires in the first half of July, while figures from the Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) recorded 3,908 fires in the second half of the month.
The total for July last year was 2,173 fires.
The increase has been put down to the lengthy dry and hot period that occurred during the latter part of the month.
In just three days, from July 26 to 28, there were reports of 1,294 fires, some 20 per cent of the total for the month.
Details of the land area affected is still only available for the first half of the month, when the AFN said 847 hectares were burned, of which 452 were forest and 395 were bush land.
Areas worst affected in the second part of the month were the districts of Viseu, Aveiro and Viana do Castelo.
Although the heat wave that hit the country was a major factor, other problems are said to have hindered the fight against the flames in July.
Fire fighter representatives say that 2,000 vehicles used to combat the fires are obsolete, there are deficiencies in support services to firemen on the ground and there was a lack of aerial surveillance (also read last week’s article ‘Monchique fire face financial difficulties’)
Meanwhile, according to the Institute of Meteorology (IM), temperatures are due to go above 30 degrees in the coming week, with higher temperatures in the interior of the country.
However, it will be nothing “compared with the week from July 23 to July 29”, said an IM spokesman.
Temperatures are expected to peak at around 31 degrees on the coast and 37 in the interior, especially in the Alentejo region.
According to the IM, these temperatures are “normal for August”.
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