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Portugal fights to control fire amid questions about high death toll Portugal’s prime minister calls on emergency services to explain wildfire response
(about 2 hours later)
Firefighters battling the huge Portuguese wildfire that has killed at least 64 people and injured more than 150 hope to bring the blaze under control within the next 24 hours, the country’s civil protection authorities said on Tuesday. Portugal’s prime minister has called on the emergency services to explain their response to the country’s worst wildfire as public anger mounts over the tragedy. At least 64 people have been killed and more than 150 injured.
More than 1,100 firefighters and nine water-dropping aircraft are still tackling the country’s worst ever forest fire, which is thought to have started after lightning struck a tree in the central municipality of Pedrógão Grande on Saturday. On Tuesday, António Costa asked the head of the National Republican Guard why officers had not closed off the road where many of the victims burned to death as they fled the flames in their cars.
“The situation is quite a lot better,” operational commander Vítor Vaz Pinto told the Lusa news agency. “By tonight or Wednesday morning, the fire will be under control.” He also asked for clarification on the extent to which rescuers’ communications systems had been affected by the fire, and for more information on whether the high death toll was the result of unusual weather or problems with the response.
“Why, for how long and what impact was there on the planning, command and execution of operations if your very systems were not working? What was done to establish alternative connections?” Costa asked of the emergency services, according to the state news agency Lusa.
A day earlier, Costa had acknowledged that early efforts to alert the public had been hindered after the flames destroyed phone lines and communications towers but insisted that “nothing compromised the firefighting efforts”.
The prime minister’s calls came as firefighters battling the blaze said they hoped to bring it under control within 24 hours.
Maria Jose Andre, an official with Portugal’s air accident office, said the civil protection agency overseeing the firefighting operation had informed her office that a Canadair water-dropping plane had crashed in central Portugal while fighting the wildfires.
Her office immediately sent a crash investigation team to the area but she had no details about the plane, its crew or where the crash happened, she said, and could therefore not confirm the crash.
More than 1,100 firefighters are still tackling the fire, which is thought to have started after lightning struck a tree in the central municipality of Pedrógão Grande on Saturday.
“The situation is quite a lot better,” operational commander Vítor Vaz Pinto told Lusa. “By tonight or Wednesday morning, the fire will be under control.”
He added, however, that progress would depend on the wind and the temperature, which was expected to reach 43C (109F) on Tuesday.He added, however, that progress would depend on the wind and the temperature, which was expected to reach 43C (109F) on Tuesday.
As Portugal waits to emerge from three days of national mourning, questions are being asked about why the death toll has been so high in a country that sees wildfires every year. As Portugal waits to emerge from three days of national mourning, questions are being asked about why the death toll has been so high in a country where there are wildfires every year.
The prime minister, António Costa, has already acknowledged that early efforts to alert the public were thwarted after the flames destroyed phone lines and communications towers. But he insisted that “nothing compromised the firefighting efforts”. Many are focusing on the authorities’ failure to close down the N236 road – and why it had apparently been signalled as an alternative route after a nearby road had been sealed off.
Emergency services have been criticised for not closing the road where more than half the victims of the fire died after becoming trapped in their cars or abandoning their vehicles as they tried to escape the flames. Forty-seven of the 64 forest fire victims died on the N236, which has been called the “road of death” or the “road of hell” by the local media. Thirty of them burned to death in their cars, trapped by the flames, while others died after abandoning their vehicles.
A firefighter who died in hospital on Monday had been trying to help people on the road when he, too, was badly burned. A survivor told Portuguese television that gendarmes directed them to the N236 as an alternative to the nearby IC8 route which had been closed and which the gendarmes used themselves.
“When we arrived at the IC8, they told us we couldn’t pass and directed us towards the N236. We thought that the road was safe but it wasn’t,” a survivor, Maria de Fatima, told AFP.
Among those killed as they fled was a four-year-old boy whose parents had left him with his uncle and aunt as they went on their honeymoon. According to the Correio da Manhã newspaper, his mother appealed for help on social media while his grandmother left Lisbon to try to find him. His body and that of his uncle were later found beside a car.Among those killed as they fled was a four-year-old boy whose parents had left him with his uncle and aunt as they went on their honeymoon. According to the Correio da Manhã newspaper, his mother appealed for help on social media while his grandmother left Lisbon to try to find him. His body and that of his uncle were later found beside a car.
The Expresso newspaper reported that a 60-year-old woman had saved eight people by sheltering them in her house in the village of Nodeirinho. Assunção Cristas, the leader of the centre-right CDS-PP opposition party, said that while the country was still in mourning, a time would come “when all questions will be asked” in parliament.
Adelaide Silva took in two couples and three children as well as a woman whose husband died in the blaze and who appeared at Silva’s door with burns to her face, back and arms. One of the women who was already in Silva’s house was a nurse, and treated the injured woman with wet towels until she could be taken to hospital. Many people believe poor forest management – combined with the depopulation of rural villages, which has left many wooded areas untended – have played a part in the disaster.
Although political parties are waiting for the fire to be extinguished before scrutinising the reasons for the tragedy, many people in Portugal believe poor forest management – combined with the depopulation of rural villages, which has left many wooded areas untended – have played a part.
“What failed this Saturday?” asked a headline in the Público newspaper. “Everything, as it has failed for decades.”“What failed this Saturday?” asked a headline in the Público newspaper. “Everything, as it has failed for decades.”
Paulo Fernandes, a professor in the forest science department of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University in Portugal, said that, despite warning signs, people may have been caught off guard because the blaze had broken out before the usual forest fire season had begun. Paulo Fernandes, a professor in the forest science department of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro University in Vila Real, said that despite warning signs, people may have been caught off guard because the blaze had broken out before the usual forest fire season began.
“This was a unique event in terms of the impact it had on people and fatalities,” he said. “It was a bit early for this kind of fire, but we’ve had a somewhat dry winter and spring and then this heatwave, which has combined with very extreme atmospheric instability to bring lightning but no rain in the affected region.“This was a unique event in terms of the impact it had on people and fatalities,” he said. “It was a bit early for this kind of fire, but we’ve had a somewhat dry winter and spring and then this heatwave, which has combined with very extreme atmospheric instability to bring lightning but no rain in the affected region.
“The area is heavily forested and when you have naturally ignited fires, they tend to occur randomly in the landscape and often in more remote locations.”“The area is heavily forested and when you have naturally ignited fires, they tend to occur randomly in the landscape and often in more remote locations.”
Fernandes said people may have panicked when firefighters failed to appear and decided to get into their cars rather than staying in their homes.Fernandes said people may have panicked when firefighters failed to appear and decided to get into their cars rather than staying in their homes.
He added that while forest fires in 2003 and 2005 had led to improvements and innovations in disaster planning, the emphasis still remained on fighting fires rather than preventing them.He added that while forest fires in 2003 and 2005 had led to improvements and innovations in disaster planning, the emphasis still remained on fighting fires rather than preventing them.
A Portuguese environmental lobby group, Quercus, said the fires were the result of “forest management errors and bad political decisions” by governments over recent decades.A Portuguese environmental lobby group, Quercus, said the fires were the result of “forest management errors and bad political decisions” by governments over recent decades.
Quercus argues much of the danger comes from the highly flammable eucalyptus trees that have outstripped pine and cork oak to become the country’s dominant forest species and now occupy a “scandalous” area of about 900,000 hectares. Quercus argued that much of the danger came from the highly flammable eucalyptus trees that have outstripped pine and cork oak to become the country’s dominant forest species and now occupy a “scandalous” area of about 9,000 sq km (3,500 sq miles).
However, Fernandes said the risk of eucalyptus had been overstated.However, Fernandes said the risk of eucalyptus had been overstated.
“It’s a popular perception,” he said. “But it’s quite exaggerated because when we analyse fire data versus land cover data, we really don’t find fire has a preference for eucalyptus forests. It’s true it’s quite flammable, but pine forests are quite flammable and shrubland is highly flammable. Most of our Mediterranean vegetation types burn quite well.”“It’s a popular perception,” he said. “But it’s quite exaggerated because when we analyse fire data versus land cover data, we really don’t find fire has a preference for eucalyptus forests. It’s true it’s quite flammable, but pine forests are quite flammable and shrubland is highly flammable. Most of our Mediterranean vegetation types burn quite well.”
Three months ago the government announced new measures to combat wildfires, including restrictions on plantations of eucalyptuses and a simplified and cheaper programme of property registration to determine which land is being neglected.Three months ago the government announced new measures to combat wildfires, including restrictions on plantations of eucalyptuses and a simplified and cheaper programme of property registration to determine which land is being neglected.
However, not all of the reforms have come into legal force.However, not all of the reforms have come into legal force.
Xavier Viegas, an expert on forest fires, said while the fire had outpaced firefighters in some villages, the deaths had mainly highlighted communication problems when it came to evacuating people.Xavier Viegas, an expert on forest fires, said while the fire had outpaced firefighters in some villages, the deaths had mainly highlighted communication problems when it came to evacuating people.
“It’s still hard to identify what failed, but it’s a bit of everything,” Viegas told Reuters.“It’s still hard to identify what failed, but it’s a bit of everything,” Viegas told Reuters.
Other countries prone to forest fires have systems in place to alert people to danger. After the fires that killed 173 people in 2009, Australia began using text messages and emergency broadcasts to get the word out.Other countries prone to forest fires have systems in place to alert people to danger. After the fires that killed 173 people in 2009, Australia began using text messages and emergency broadcasts to get the word out.
“There’s an urgent need to organise that kind of alerting,” Viegas said. “Here, at best, someone from the parish council goes knocking on doors telling people to leave.”“There’s an urgent need to organise that kind of alerting,” Viegas said. “Here, at best, someone from the parish council goes knocking on doors telling people to leave.”