Forest Fires in Portugal

Useful Information

Emergency Fire fighters Telephone number: 117

Natural Disasters in Portugal

	Forest fires in Portugal are unfortunately an annual occurrence. The Portuguese government is constantly investing in fire prevention with watch towers and more fire hydrants in rural areas, however with soaring temperatures during the summer months fires are unfortunately inevitable. The Portuguese government has been effective in identifying the causes of fires and unbelievably one of the main factors to the majority of forest fires is down to people - discarded cigarettes, unlawful burning and sometimes even arson.
Though there are extremely stiff penalties for those convicted of arson in *Portugal. To help reduce the risk of fires spreading landowners are, by law, required to keep their land free of debris. This includes private home owners. The burning of garden material and/or rubbish is forbidden from the end of March through until the first heavy rains in the autumn. In more remote, rural areas many Portuguese build water storage tanks on their land, which is not only useful for watering the land in the dry summer months, but can be very be useful should there be a fire. The Portuguese government urges vigilance and the telephone number to ring should you spot a fire is 112. The Institute of Metrology in Portugal (Instituto de Meteorologia Portugal*) has an up to date webpage detailing the risk of fires throughout mainland Portugal. The webpage is updated on a regular basis and indicates those areas most at risk from fires taking into consideration the metrological data. Click here to take a look at today's forest fire risk data.
In the Event of a Forest Fire
In the event there is a fire close to you home here are some handy tips to remember: 1. Shut off the gas and electricity at the mains. 2. If time allows, dampen the bushes and exterior walls of your home. 3. Untie or unstable any animals you may have corralled. Put domestic pets in handy carrying baskets ready to evacuate if necessary. 4. In the event of an evacuation help children, the elderly and others whom may not have transport. 5. Don't waste time collecting personal possessions in the event of an evacuation. 6. Don't return to the house for any reason. 7. Close all of the windows and doors before leaving. 8. Remove any combustible materials from the house and exterior.