Forest Fires in Portugal

Latest update on fires and temperatures

“
TEMPERATURES MAY REACH 30 C FROM SUNDAY
IPMA FORECAST FIRE RISK INCREASE – PLEASE SHARE

As of Sunday, temperatures will rise (to 30 degrees) and the humidity will drop, which will increase the risk of fire. The warning is contained in a statement published today 19th October by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).

"Between 22 and 25 October the forecast is no rain. From 26 and 28 October there is a 20% to 40% probability of rain in the North and Centre. There will also be an increase in air temperature to maximum of between 25 and 30 ° C and relative humidity of less than 40% in the afternoon in the interior regions until October 25, "reads the IPMA statement.

Meteorologists also say that "rainfall between the 16th and the 21st will not have a significant impact on reducing the drought situation, particularly in the interior and Algarve regions, and the risk of fire should increase again from day 21 [Saturday], at least until October 25 [Wednesday]."
 
Well what a week. We have weak Internet on the Ipad, provider being NOS, none from Mifi which is with Meo. Can 't downloaded any pictures but will at a later date. Can't stress to you how bad it has been for everyone. Thankfully people who have been affected a lot worse than us are all feeling positive, however I don't know how long it will be before the magnitude of the situation really hits home. As I mentioned we heard that my cousin had lost everything. It has taken us three days to find him and his wife. They had taken refuge in the municipal sports hall in Oliveira do Hospital with many many others. They have been well looked after, given clothes, toiletries and fed well. We visited their place before meeting up with them, I'm afraid quite a few tears were shed. Until you see the absolute devastation you can't imagine the severity of it all. He is going to rebuild, I think that is giving him something to keep his mind active. At the moment we are housing them in a little building on our land. They had seven dogs. Four are at their house but two are quite badly burned on their feet. Four cats are now two, chickens are no longer. We could not get onto our land, there are overhead cables hanging down, not high enough to get the van under, there are five wires, three we tied up together, two we cut with an axe. That gave us access on that one. The other lot, trees had to be cut down, no poles to tie them up as all burnt away, so to be able to get access we wanted to lay them on the ground. We had to chainsaw down a few trees, the last a huge one, Don 't know who's tree it is but tough, it's Everyman for himself, no good waiting for someone to do anything about it, could be years. Anyway we eventually got parked up the night before last. We didn't know what we were going to find when we got back. As our land is quite clear, it did not come across. It went up the side on the neighbours and across the back of ours where we have a few pine trees. Unfortunately we had heaps of wood ready to chainsaw into firewood, the fire got hold of it cleared the lot except for one big heap we had waiting to burn it ourselves as it was diseased with bark eating beetles. My mobility scooter was under the trees along with a hand pulling trailer and a bike trailer. They were covered but they are no more, all gone. We have a little tractor and trailer they had been left out of the trees, thankfully that is fine. We have a couple of 1000 litre full water tanks and an above ground pool, not touched, how about that. We left a few things out that we didn't want in the van, there are remnants of the fire, a few holes where sparks have fallen. All around us is just a black mess, the smell of wet ash all around us. Still smoke lingering in the mist. That smell will stay with us forever I think. So many people have lost everything, we have heard of deaths and a lot of near misses. One neighbour lost a horse, think it was smoke inhalation. It certainly hadn't been burnt as we saw it. We still can't believe how fast the fire swept across our area. We thought perhaps the village would have a warning or something about evacuating. Nothing, we didn't see one fire engine, no water planes. It was too big for them to cope with. The fire station was empty when we went there on Sunday afternoon. The wind was so strong, coming from cyclone Ophelia. Can't imagine what the rest of the country looks like, the area is so vast here that's been burnt. You drive for miles with black everywhere. It's like you are a lunar landscape or what you imagine as being the end of the world, I don't know how else to describe it. We still have no electric, thankfully they are working on it. Unless you drive for miles you can't fill up with fuel as no electric, then the ones further away have no internet so can only take cash payments, same as shopping. You can't draw any cash out of the machines as all electric. Don't know how long people can go withou, luckily for us we drew €500 just before this happened. We can get water from the tap in the village and we have our solar, so we have no problems on that score. On a positive note, people have fallen but have got back up and are ready for the next chapter, onwards and upwards. We are all helping each other. So nice to see. A big post, hope it goes through, sorry no paragraphs and mistakes are no doubtedly predictive text. Hey ho! Thanks for all your concerns what a lovely community we are.
 
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Terrifying story, hopefully all the material losses will be replaced over time. Just really glad you guys were not hurt and are OK. Best wishes.
 
Thanks for the update. Such sad and devastating losses for so many. I hope the country gets some more steady rain as soon as the next dry spell is out of the way.

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Sundowners said:
Well what a week. We have weak Internet on the Ipad, provider being NOS, none from Mifi which is with Meo. Can 't downloaded any pictures but will at a later date. Can't stress to you how bad it has been for everyone. Thankfully people who have been affected a lot worse than us are all feeling positive, however I don't know how long it will be before the magnitude of the situation really hits home. As I mentioned we heard that my cousin had lost everything. It has taken us three days to find him and his wife. They had taken refuge in the municipal sports hall in Oliveira do Hospital with many many others. They have been well looked after, given clothes, toiletries and fed well. We visited their place before meeting up with them, I'm afraid quite a few tears were shed. Until you see the absolute devastation you can't imagine the severity of it all. He is going to rebuild, I think that is giving him something to keep his mind active. At the moment we are housing them in a little building on our land. They had seven dogs. Four are at their house but two are quite badly burned on their feet. Four cats are now two, chickens are no longer. We could not get onto our land, there are overhead cables hanging down, not high enough to get the van under, there are five wires, three we tied up together, two we cut with an axe. That gave us access on that one. The other lot, trees had to be cut down, no poles to tie them up as all burnt away, so to be able to get access we wanted to lay them on the ground. We had to chainsaw down a few trees, the last a huge one, Don 't know who's tree it is but tough, it's Everyman for himself, no good waiting for someone to do anything about it, could be years. Anyway we eventually got parked up the night before last. We didn't know what we were going to find when we got back. As our land is quite clear, it did not come across. It went up the side on the neighbours and across the back of ours where we have a few pine trees. Unfortunately we had heaps of wood ready to chainsaw into firewood, the fire got hold of it cleared the lot except for one big heap we had waiting to burn it ourselves as it was diseased with bark eating beetles. My mobility scooter was under the trees along with a hand pulling trailer and a bike trailer. They were covered but they are no more, all gone. We have a little tractor and trailer they had been left out of the trees, thankfully that is fine. We have a couple of 1000 litre full water tanks and an above ground pool, not touched, how about that. We left a few things out that we didn't want in the van, there are remnants of the fire, a few holes where sparks have fallen. All around us is just a black mess, the smell of wet ash all around us. Still smoke lingering in the mist. That smell will stay with us forever I think. So many people have lost everything, we have heard of deaths and a lot of near misses. One neighbour lost a horse, think it was smoke inhalation. It certainly hadn't been burnt as we saw it. We still can't believe how fast the fire swept across our area. We thought perhaps the village would have a warning or something about evacuating. Nothing, we didn't see one fire engine, no water planes. It was too big for them to cope with. The fire station was empty when we went there on Sunday afternoon. The wind was so strong, coming from cyclone Ophelia. Can't imagine what the rest of the country looks like, the area is so vast here that's been burnt. You drive for miles with black everywhere. It's like you are a lunar landscape or what you imagine as being the end of the world, I don't know how else to describe it. We still have no electric, thankfully they are working on it. Unless you drive for miles you can't fill up with fuel as no electric, then the ones further away have no internet so can only take cash payments, same as shopping. You can't draw any cash out of the machines as all electric. Don't know how long people can go withou, luckily for us we drew €500 just before this happened. We can get water from the tap in the village and we have our solar, so we have no problems on that score. On a positive note, people have fallen but have got back up and are ready for the next chapter, onwards and upwards. We are all helping each other. So nice to see. A big post, hope it goes through, sorry no paragraphs and mistakes are no doubtedly predictive text. Hey ho! Thanks for all your concerns what a lovely community we are.
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Thanks for the update, sound like you are really one of the lucky ones;) glad you are all OK.

Martin and Jen
 
Oh thanks for updating been worrying bout you two xxx take care love from us three xxx
 
Just a thought. Will insurance cover the losses?
 
P&M Sylv and I are so sad for you and all those lovely folk in Barril do Alva. We can only guess at the devastation and heartbreak caused. Please pass our condolences on to M&S Take care
S&D

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Yorick said:
Just a thought. Will insurance cover the losses?
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Act of God??
So many in the area live hand to mouth I doubt insurance has ever been considered by most
 
Merle said:
Act of God??
So many in the area live hand to mouth I doubt insurance has ever been considered by most
Click to expand...
Not good.

But remember a TV interview with Bishop of York after the insurance company when the Minster fire wasn't covered by insurance. The bishop said it was deemed an act of God :(
 
Yorick said:
Just a thought. Will insurance cover the losses?
Click to expand...
I read on a Portuguese forum, not sure if true, that there are often problems over the cause of the fire, if it is attributed to a natural event then maybe not, or there has to be someone to blame?
Apart from that there will be many items that were not insured specifically and many people will just not have had any insurance, because they could not afford it. Some properties were perfectly habitable but maybe not standard, and therefore uninsurable. It is that sort of country. There are some very moving videos to be found on YouTube showing the latest fires. Absolutely heartbreaking, and terrifying to watch... Janie
 
IMG_0687.JPG IMG_0694.JPG IMG_0732.JPG IMG_0806.JPG IMG_0811.JPG IMG_0819.JPG IMG_0838.JPG IMG_0873.JPG IMG_0874.JPG Hooray, we now have good internet which gives me the opportunity of loading some pictures. The first and second pictures are just before we left our land. The fourth, picture of cables melted alongside the road. Sixth is a power pole burning upwards from the base just hanging on the wire. Seventh image is of my cousins house. Eighth is all that is left of a plastic twin tub, it was broken anyway, but just the two motors remain. And lastly, my mobility scooter. After the rains we now have green shoots appearing, so hopefully most of the black will disappear for the winter.
 
My god that's scary...

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Well it's five weeks tomorrow since the fire in our area. You will never believe it, but it is still burning in some places. Nigel went for a walk with the dog and a couple of mates. They saw smoke near to the river, went to investigate, Zippy went ahead and Nigel saw that he was in distress, quickly went to him, he was swimming for his life in ash, Nigel stepped forward and immediately sank down past his knees into ash. Trouble was it was still burning at the bottom, the dog got out, but Nigel was stuck in what was like red hot quicksand only it was ash. He fell over, put his hand out to stop himself going down further, he called for help, and Mike came in to help him, but he stayed upright. Nigel got out and then pulled Mike out. Mike has very small burns on one of his legs, he had jeans and good boots on. Thankfully Nigel wasn't wearing his crocs, his boots stopped burns on his feet, but he has some severe burns to his legs and his left hand. He went to the fire station last night was given lots of cream, I dressed them well last night, he slept well. We already had flights booked back to UK tomorrow, so if he needs further treatment we will get it there. No health centres open today, hospital is in Coimbra so I will keep a check on his burns. Will have to go there if necessary. Have attached a picture of him just after he got out and after he had cooled his hand in the river. This episode could have ended so differently if he was on his own, doesn't bare thinking about. Don't want to lose this so will post now, have to get photo from elsewhere, so will follow later.
 
Struth! :eek: Poor Nigel, very lucky boy (in a "lucky he got out ok, not lucky he got burnt" sort of way). What happened about Zippy, did he escape any burns?
 
Incredibly lucky Nigel !!!

Keep safe you two! Xx

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Wow that's scary, hope the burns aren't too painful and heal well.
 
Oh my. What a Lucky escape.glad he's ok

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Gosh Pamela, Nigel was so so Lucky all our love. You two take care PLEASE XXX
Kate
 
Update on burns. - Back in U.K. Doctor sent Nigel to hospital in Bury St. Edmunds who then referred him to Broomfields Hospital near Chelmsford. Went today, has had all burnt skin removed. Have to go back next Monday to see if skin graft needed. No infection yet. Supposed to be flying back to Portugal on 2nd Dec., not sure if this will happen yet, depends on prognosis next Monday. It might be that we fly back and come straight back in the motorhome. Will take it one day at a time.
 
Sundowners said:
Update on burns. - Back in U.K. Doctor sent Nigel to hospital in Bury St. Edmunds who then referred him to Broomfields Hospital near Chelmsford. Went today, has had all burnt skin removed. Have to go back next Monday to see if skin graft needed. No infection yet. Supposed to be flying back to Portugal on 2nd Dec., not sure if this will happen yet, depends on prognosis next Monday. It might be that we fly back and come straight back in the motorhome. Will take it one day at a time.
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Thanks for the update.
Wishing you well
 
Oh Pamela only just seen all this, so sorry you really have had it all thrown at you. Hope Nigel's burns heal well. Glad your safe now, it's so difficult to imagine how quickly it all happened.





 
Sundowners said:
Update on burns. - Back in U.K. Doctor sent Nigel to hospital in Bury St. Edmunds who then referred him to Broomfields Hospital near Chelmsford. Went today, has had all burnt skin removed. Have to go back next Monday to see if skin graft needed. No infection yet. Supposed to be flying back to Portugal on 2nd Dec., not sure if this will happen yet, depends on prognosis next Monday. It might be that we fly back and come straight back in the motorhome. Will take it one day at a time.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the update love to you both xxx

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