Madeira will receive 80 members of the Special Fire Brigade, who will arrive in the region at 1 AM on Sunday to assist in combating the rural fire that began on Wednesday, August 14, and has several active fronts, announced the Regional Government on Saturday.
The fire, which broke out in Ribeira Brava, reached the parish of Curral das Freiras and necessitated the evacuation of residents. More than 100 operatives from all fire brigades in Madeira are combating the fire late Saturday night. These professionals are supported by 37 vehicles, and an aircraft has also been deployed to tackle the flames during the day. The flames also affect the municipality of Câmara de Lobos. The strong winds that are being felt are making the entire operation difficult, and due to the gravity of the situation, the Regional Emergency Plan of Civil Protection of the Autonomous Region of Madeira has already been activated.
The President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, interrupted his vacation in Porto Santo to monitor the situation in the municipalities of Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos. In statements to RTP3 from the command post at Eira do Serrado just before midnight, Albuquerque expressed his suspicion that this fire may have been set intentionally, a situation that is “recurring” on the island.
“The fire started in a high, inaccessible area, and the weather conditions were such that the helicopter could not act due to the strong winds,” he said, also rejecting criticisms regarding his absence (“I do not possess the gift of ubiquity”) and the delay in seeking assistance. “It wasn’t a request for help; I had already arranged with Dr. Paulo Rangel yesterday to send the forces.”
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has been informed about the situation of the fires in Madeira and has expressed “concern and solidarity,” announced on Saturday the office of the representative of the Republic for this autonomous region.
At a press conference at the Regional Civil Protection Service offices in Funchal, Pedro Ramos stated that besides the firefighters, elements from the Forestry Institute and Nature Conservation, four operatives from the GNR, and eight vehicles, as well as 11 agents from the PSP supported by eight vehicles, are also on the ground.
80 special firefighters dispatched
Man of Gouveia/Lusa
“Given the evolution of the situation and considering the weather conditions that are hindering the action of the men on the ground, and after another contact with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection and the President of the National Civil Protection Authority, the Regional Government announces that at this moment all the necessary logistics are underway to allow 80 members of the Special Fire Brigade to arrive in Madeira in the coming hours,” reads a note sent to the newsrooms.
The Regional Secretariat of Health and Civil Protection mentions that “this force of men will complement all the work being done on the ground by the firefighters, the Forestry Police, and other entities involved in combating the fire.” “We also inform that in the last hour the resources on the ground have been reinforced and the forest intervention teams assigned to the National Republican Guard have been activated,” indicates the authority, without specifying the number of resources.
In statements to RTP3 at 9 PM, Manuel Filipe, president of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation, stated that he has “all the allocated resources,” that is, about one hundred operatives at all times. At this stage, “the concern is to extinguish the fire,” distancing the scenario of it reaching the Laurissilva forest for now. “The forecasts for tonight are good, regarding humidity and temperature, but we have to see,” he said, urging the population to adopt preventive measures. “The worst thing that could happen would be new fire foci.”
Evacuated families receive psychological support
The Regional Health Service of Madeira (Sesaram) has made available two support lines for all users in the region, one provided by the psychology service, with the number 969320140, and the 24-hour SRS support line, provided by the family support office, with the number 800242420.
About 50 families are currently receiving clinical, social, and psychological support in Curral das Freiras after being evacuated from their homes due to the fire affecting the parish, the Regional Government stated.
In statements to journalists in Curral das Freiras, Câmara de Lobos municipality, around 1 PM, the regional secretary of Health and Civil Protection, Pedro Ramos, indicated that the people evacuated from their homes in the areas of Terra Chã de Cima and Seara Velha are being housed in the local church and that clinical support is also ensured with the opening of the health center. During Saturday afternoon, it was also decided to evacuate the site of Fajã das Galinhas in the parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, where about 60 people were evacuated.
According to Pedro Ramos, the fire, which started on Wednesday morning in Serra de Água, in the municipality of Ribeira Brava, is currently active in Encumeada, in that municipality, and in the parishes of Curral das Freiras and Jardim da Serra, in the neighboring municipality of Câmara de Lobos.
According to the latest update issued at 10:15 AM by the Regional Civil Protection Service (SRPC) of Madeira, combating the fire “has been particularly difficult due to the progress of the fire in areas of difficult access.”
“In Curral das Freiras, the fire has already spread across the entire hillside, endangering the areas of Seara Velha and Terra Chã de Cima, causing the evacuation of residents from their homes for safety and precaution, triggered by the Municipal Civil Protection Service of Câmara de Lobos,” reports Civil Protection.
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In the Câmara de Lobos municipality, the fire is “branching between the localities of Jardim da Serra and Curral das Freiras,” and in Jardim da Serra, “the flames are approaching residential areas, although no residences are currently in danger.”
In Ribeira Brava, the fire “remains active at the Encumeada front,” but “outside residential areas,” with a Rural Fire Combat Team (ECIR), assigned to the Mixed Firefighters of Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol, “maintaining active monitoring” at the site. The Câmara do Funchal is also pre-emptively removing some animals from the Vasco Gil municipal kennel, although it distances “any imminent danger.”
On Friday, when asked about the need for reinforcements and the assistance offered by the Government of the Republic, Pedro Ramos reiterated that such assistance was not necessary, justifying that the resources in the region “are not exhausted.” “We have 54 operatives on the ground, out of a total of 750 firefighters. We have 18 vehicles, out of a total of more than a hundred vehicles,” he pointed out.
Regarding the possibility of the Republic providing an aircraft for firefighting (the region only has one), the regional secretary of Civil Protection stated that it would take “much longer” than a day to reach Madeira, insisting that it is currently not needed.
“We will request assistance from Lisbon if we see that our resources are about to be exhausted, which is not the case, but we appreciate the availability,” he reinforced.
Pedro Ramos also mentioned that he has been in contact with the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Paulo Ribeiro, keeping him updated on the fire’s status. The official also stated that weather forecasts indicate “a decrease in winds,” hoping that “by the end of today things will be more controlled.”
“Despite the adverse conditions, such as high temperatures, low humidity, strong winds, and complex topography, the teams are in the operational theater making every effort to control the flames and safeguard the residences,” highlighted Civil Protection at 10:15 AM, urging the population to avoid unnecessary travel to affected areas.
The fire began on Wednesday
Albuquerque rejects Republic support, PS Madeira says decision is “irresponsible”
On Friday night, a source from the office of the president of the Madeira executive told the Lusa agency that the Government of the Republic offered support in combating the fire, but both Miguel Albuquerque and Pedro Ramos conveyed that the resources on the ground were sufficient at this time. “The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, contacted the President of the Regional Government to offer support in combating the fires,” said a source from Miguel Albuquerque’s office to the Lusa agency.
The president of the Madeira Government, according to the same source, informed that “due to the difficult access areas” where the fires are occurring, it is not possible to allocate more resources and “even the helicopter cannot always act due to the wind.” “At the moment, it is not needed,” he reinforced.
The leader of PS/Madeira, Paulo Cafôfo, classified the decision of the President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, to reject the Republic’s support for combating the fires on the island as “incomprehensible and irresponsible.”
“If only for prevention, this refusal by Miguel Albuquerque, in an attitude we already know of ‘everything is under control,’ shows that we cannot trust the one who should be the first to ensure the safety of people and property,” says the island’s socialist leader in a statement.
The president of the Madeira parliament, José Manuel Rodrigues, expressed on Saturday his support and solidarity with the populations and all those involved in combating the fires in the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava.
“I follow with concern the evolution of the situation and I am sure that, in due time, the Assembly and its deputies will take measures, together with the Government, to minimize the damage caused by these fires to the forest, agricultural land, and the assets of the populations,” states José Manuel Rodrigues in a note sent to newsrooms.
The regional parliament president expresses his solidarity with the populations suffering from the fires raging in the parishes of Curral das Freiras and Jardim da Serra in Câmara de Lobos, as well as in Serra de Água, in the municipality of Ribeira Brava.
“I also express my solidarity to the mayors, firefighters, police officers, civil protection operatives, and others who are working to combat the fires,” reads the note.
José Manuel Rodrigues further remarks that nature is the “most precious asset, after people, and it is particularly affected these days, with consequences on people’s lives, on tourism,” and on the island’s biodiversity.
News updated at 12:27 AM: added information about the evolution of the fire and statements from Miguel Albuquerque