Welcome to our 5th Definitive Guide to Rural Fire Protection and Land Cleaning. This special edition marks Civil Protection Day 1st March, writes David Thomas from Safe Communities Portugal.Providing a safe environment is important to our quality of life here in Portugal. Fires in rural areas pose a risk to communities including: ourselves, our families, friends, animals and properties.
We must therefore do what we can to help reduce the fire risk through cleaning our land by 15th March 2018. An important step is creating awareness, and this is the aim of this campaign and guide - getting key information across so the protection steps can be taken.
This guide cannot provide all the answers, as the laws can be quite complicated and are frequently changing, but I hope it will help address the most important issues and where clarification is required, provide the necessary contacts where further information can be found.
The subjects covered include such vital areas as:
The law concerning the cleaning of land (fuel management)
How "Rural areas" are defined
Protecting your house against Forest Fires - What you need to do
Latest law update: law n.ยบ10/2018, 14th February
Neighbours
What to do if the neighbouring land has not been cleaned
How will these measures be enforced
Priority areas for inspections
Groups of houses
What the councils should do
How "Rural areas" are defined
Protecting your house against Forest Fires - What you need to do
Latest law update: law n.ยบ10/2018, 14th February
Neighbours
What to do if the neighbouring land has not been cleaned
How will these measures be enforced
Priority areas for inspections
Groups of houses
What the councils should do
For guide - click here
It is clear many people are concerned that they may get fined for some minor infringement by not complying strictly with the law within the time limit. Fines, however, are the last resort and the whole object of the exercise is to make a start in protecting all of us and our property from rural fires.
Much of it is common sense and when deciding what needs to be cleaned simply look at your land and ask a simply question - does this constitute a fire risk? If it does, take action. Also even if your land is not affected by the laws, keeping it clean will help protect your house should a fire breakout nearby.
The information included in this guide and Portugal News supplement are from official government channels, namely the ICNF, ANPC and GNR and are published in accordance with the national protocols between SCP and the departments concerned.
I would therefore like to thank Rui Almeida Head of the Forest Fire Defence Division ICNF and Comandant Vaz Pinto Operational Commander of the ANPC Faro for preparing introductions dedicated to this newsletter and the Portugal News/SCP supplement which was published on 23rd February 2018.
Please share this with others, especially those living in rural areas.
Finally I would like to thank Ibex Insurance, Destination Algarve, Algarve Homes and Mestre Raposa or sponsoring this newsletter. If you would would like to be part of a community effort to promote crime prevention and public safety, we are pleased to hear from you.
Please contact us at:
David Thomas
President
Safe Communities Portugal
President
Safe Communities Portugal