The National Republican Guard (GNR) began their annual campaign, “Safe Forest 2024” on February 1st, reinforcing awareness, surveillance and inspection of forest areas on the ground and in the air, with the aim of preventing and detecting rural fires.
In a statement released last week, the GNR said that the operation, which began on Thursday 1st February and ends on November 30th, also aims to “investigate the causes and crimes of forest fires and validate the burned areas, to prevent, detect, combat and repress illicit activities, ensuring the safety of populations, their assets and the preservation of forestry heritage”.
In the “Safe Forest 2023” operation, the 4,332 forest fire crimes were recorded.
According to the GNR, since 2013 and until 2023, there has been a positive evolution with regard to the reduction, not only in the number of ignitions, but also in the burned area itself, with 46% fewer fires being recorded in rural areas and 72% less burned area, compared to the annual average for the period. 2023 saw the lowest value in terms of burned area since 2013.
Regarding the causes of fires, the GNR indicate that burning rubbish represents around 32% of occurences. “In this sense and for 2024, it is a priority to reduce the number of ignitions, through awareness-raising actions and demonstration of the correct use of fire, particularly aimed at municipalities in which more than 100 ignitions were recorded, namely, Ponte da Barca, Paredes, Vila Nova de Gaia, Amarante, Penafiel, Lousada, Gondomar, Montalegre, Fafe, Arcos de Valdevez, Vila Verde and Marco de Canaveses”, says the GNR.
The campaign will have the collaboration of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fires (AGIF), the Institute for Nature and Forest Conservation (ICNF) and the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).
