Forest Fires in Portugal

Armytwowheels said:
Hi Zepp. Glad you have checked in also. Where abouts are you?
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We are in Falesia no fires here but we went shopping today and quite afew of the locals were telling us about the fires I hope everyone is ok , the forcast is for thunder storms for the next few days I hope it puts the fires out
 
Sundowners said:
No, we are in Central Portugal, we had to flee last night, we were surrounded. We drove about 15k to,somewhere we felt would be safe, but the fires came there too. Went to sleep at 4 and got awoken at 7.30 by a knock on the door. More flames raging in the woodlands behind the police station. We are parked on a large open area where the market usually is and right next to a police station. We can't move as we don't know in what direction to go. The skies are full of smoke. Our biggest local town Oliveira do Hospital has been hit hard. Thankfully the winds have dropped. Hoping for some rain today, but more than a few spots.
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Sorry to hear that just keep yourself safe.
Everything else can be replaced.
Laurie & Karen.
 
Gosh Nigel &Pamela so glad you are safe hoping on your return it won't be so bad but looking at your pictures you were so lucky to get out . Xxx everyone in Portugal take care . We follow most of you on Facebook .

@JJ are you ok ?
Kate x
 
The weather here at Silves tonight has gone very still and quiet alas .. no wind or rain so far ... as much as I hate rain or thunder I truly wish for it to occur soon so it stops any more damage

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Raining also here last night at Azibo barragem. Near Braganca.Hope that stops the fires.stay safe everyone.
 
There had been a lot of fires in the Vigo area when we passed that way last month,glad we are down on the Algarve Parked up near Zepp at Falesia.

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JJ said:
Just been outside and everything is fresh and clean and beginning to smell nice again... just like me after a long, hot shower.

JJ :cool:
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I'm not sure about you smelling as fresh as a daisy JJ . :LOL:. JOKING:whistle: Here in the North even though it's been raining overnight and it's still very Misty so more in the way I can smell the fires throughout the van even with the windows closed.
 
Got this update this morning
“
PORTUGAL FIRES – SITREP – 0900HRS – 17TH OCTOBER – PLEASE SHARE

The rain that fell during the night provided considerable help in fighting the fires.

At 0900 hrs on 17th October there were NO active fires with 54 fires in conclusion stage. A total of 2882 firefighters supported by 846 vehicles remain deployed.

According to the GNR, the National Highway 309 in Espinho, Aveiro district, and Estrada Municipal 585 near the town of Longos, in the municipality of Guimarães, in the district of Braga, continue to be closed to traffic
.
The Beira Alta railway line, which has been suspended since the end of Sunday due to the fires was reopened at 05:30 today in the section between Mortágua (Viseu district) and Gouveia (Guarda district).

Hundreds of fires that broke out on Sunday, the worst fire day of the year according to authorities, resulted in 36 deaths, seven missing and 62 injured, of whom 15 were serious, and forced to evacuate villages, relocate villages and to cut off traffic on dozens of roads.

Although the fire risk for nearly all the country is reduced (low) with the exception of Monchique (maximum), no fires to burn debris are permitted as this is still the Critical Fire period.”
 
That's an awful death toll. Those poor people.
 
When we were in the northern half of Portugal in September you couldn't travel far without seeing '000s of acres of burnt land, it was everywhere... and before we had our close encounter described earlier I had spoken to one campsite owner about the issue.

He said fires in the countryside are a fact of life and occur every year and people who live in these areas mitigate the dangers wherever possible by keeping the areas around their property/village/town clear of flammable debris to act as a firebreak and in the main it works. BUT as many as 90% of these fires are started by people, often deliberately, to which there is little that can be done... All people are aware of the dangers but it doesn't stop them being careless, stupid or wilfully negligent...
 
We are in one of the driest areas of Spain and yet the fires are kept to a minimum due, to a great extent, to the fantastic work done by the Medio Ambiente (foresters) in clearing vegetation near roads.

One of the problems in Galicia and Portugal is the prevalence of Eucalyptus trees (also the cause of problems in Oz) which burn like mad when set on fire.

I've seen some photos posted by Portuguese friends and and they are saddening but the biggest sadness has to be the loss of lives.

Keep safe out there.

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It looks like you're over the worst from reading this thread. I hope so. The loss of homes, businesses, etc is terrible but can all be replaced with time but the loss of lives is so sad.
 
jumartoo said:
We are in one of the driest areas of Spain and yet the fires are kept to a minimum due, to a great extent, to the fantastic work done by the Medio Ambiente (foresters) in clearing vegetation near roads.

One of the problems in Galicia and Portugal is the prevalence of Eucalyptus trees (also the cause of problems in Oz) which burn like mad when set on fire.

I've seen some photos posted by Portuguese friends and and they are saddening but the biggest sadness has to be the loss of lives.

Keep safe out there.
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There is a train of thought being expressed about the fires in northern spain on other forums that the recent change in the law by the PP in allowing reclassification of burned land to allow construction, outlawed by Zapatero for 20 years after fire , has contributed to some being started deliberately.
 
gus-lopez said:
There is a train of thought being expressed about the fires in northern spain on other forums that the recent change in the law by the PP in allowing reclassification of burned land to allow construction, outlawed by Zapatero for 20 years after fire , has contributed to some being started deliberately.
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You can imagine some arseholes taking the opportunity and after it's out of control and destroying all around them, wishing they'd had more sense and less greed...
 
Armytwowheels said:
Have just been reading on FaceAche about the current fires raging in Portugal. There hasn't been anything on the UK news about this as far as I know, has anyone got any more (reliable I. E not Facebook) information about where the fires are?

We are just about to cross into Northern Spain and make our way over to Portugal and could do with knowing where to avoid.
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Thank you so much for making the effort to start this thread to help others .
I am travelling alone and had asked the question - but no response.

The replies and links from @champers Too have really assisted my journey, and I have been able to pass this on to other friends I’ve met along the way, who are staying near coimbra , as they had left the uk looking to settle here, and had a stressful time having to move because of the fires.

Thank you again. champers for your selfless, community spirited posts.
This is what mhf should be about.

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Thanks also to one of the flloras , @Lindyloo52 who took the time to assist me much earlier today as she’s experienced wildfires when living in Arizona.Thanks for her taking the trouble to respond.
#flloras.
Great to know the flloras are looking out for each other too
 
JJ said:
It is raining steadily here (near Pedrogao Grand) now too... (y)

Yippee.

I'll have plenty of water to wash the van tomorrow...


JJ :cool:
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And fill the pool. ;) sorry I meant the Wells. :LOL:

Sundowners have been back to their land and had a look, but they are without internet and electric in the area but they have solar and will post an update when they can, but they are safe and sound. (y) Bob.

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bobandjanie said:
And fill the pool. ;) sorry I meant the Wells. :LOL:

Sundowners have been back to their land and had a look, but they are without internet and electric in the area but they have solar and will post an update when they can, but they are safe and sound. (y) Bob.
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Thanks for letting us know the are safe Bob & Janie x[/QUOTE]
 
Today’s news update on the fires in Portugal. Hope this comes up for anyone else in a google search too #travelling in Portugal
#camping holiday in Portugal U.K. travellers safety driving MOTORHOME campervan

PORTUGAL FIRES – SITREP – 0900 HRS – 18TH OCTOBER – PLEASE SHARE

Regretfully the death toll from the fires has risen to 41, although a one month old baby previously reported dead is now confirmed as alive, according to an ANPC statement. There were also 71 injuries, 55 of which were slight and 16 were serious.

In the district of Coimbra there were 19 deaths, in the district of Viseu there were 18 deaths, two people died in Guarda and one in the district of Castelo Branco. Another died yesterday in the Hospital of Coimbra. A man aged 79 also died trying to save his dogs that were kept in an annex to his house.

Only in the industrial zone of Oliveira de Frades, 30 companies were affected, half of which were totally destroyed, estimates point to losses in excess of 100 million euros, leaving people without jobs. About 200 houses were destroyed, "more than 100 being of first habitation"

The fires have reportedly killed about 5000 birds, including more than 1,000 partridges in domestic poultry and small farms. At least 3,000 sheep and some goats died in the Oliveira do Hospital area, due to the fire, which jeopardises the future of Serra da Estrela cheese, said the local mayor.

Conversely the rain that fell in Lisbon District on Tuesday evening caused a hundred or so minor floods on the public highway and in the city's dwellings, according to the Firefighters Regiment (RSB). They received 50 requests for aid but there were no casualties. The ANPC reported "flooding of structures or surfaces by intense precipitation" in the municipalities of Sintra, Cascais, Loures and Vila Franca de Xira.

As at 0900 hrs on 18th October there are three active fires in Portugal north of Lisbon, but no major outbreaks. Some 858 fire fighters remain deployed at two fires in resolution and 18 at a conclusion stage.

So far this year fires have destroyed 310,000 hectares of land.

Photo- Fire truck destroyed Leiria – Paulo Cunha Lusa
 
That is so sad and how an old man died trying to save his dogs just shows how devoted he was. :(:(

No doubt the economy will be hit hard.
 
It's breaking my heart reading about it, goodness knows how the people involved are coping.

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