The Algarve has been anticipating a fire as the countryside is tinder dry and winds continue to sweep across the region, ready to fan any blaze.
This afternoon the wait was over as a large area of farm and scrubland rather too close to Vilamoura for comfort, caught fire, triggering a huge and successful emergency action from firefighters and the civil protection agency.
The sugarcane field seemed to be at the centre of the action but after helicopter assistance and fire trucks arriving rapidly at the scene, the fire was said to be out, or at least ‘quelled’ by early evening.
The flames were tackled by no less than four sets of bombeiros from different stations and there was an added frisson or urgency as the farm is not far from the start of Vilamoura’s summertime tourist community.
The fire started just before 2pm in scrubland near the Falésia beach area. The wind ensured the fire spread with alarming speed towards the Lake Resort.
The dependable Abel Gomes, deputy commander of Civil Protection in the Algarve, said that the immediate area was cleared due to smoke inhalation concerns but that no masss evacuation was necessary.
A fire-fighting operation that swiftly got on top of the problem and correctly assessed the risks to tourists and property is a credit to the Algarve teams involved including today, 42 firemen backed up by 12 vehicles and the helicopter used to dump water.
Comments
Apparently, from little snippets of national news, it is nationwide by far the worst for years. The most fires and the greatest extent of land burnt. In previous years we could go to the very helpful Civilian protection site for live action - now it is all logged on a pdf.
http://www.prociv.pt/Pages/default.aspx
But yet again it proves so clearly that the Portuguese Police State never went away. It has always been in the background ready to step in and control the masses. What they can be told. How they should think. Like children - too much of the wrong information would scare them.
And this incendio news in the wrong hands i.e. nasty foreigners - makes Portugal look silly. As they will be asking why so few ever get caught and of those that are prosecuted - why so few actually get punished.
Yet the cost in 'fear' of those inhabitants in fire prone areas is incalculable - and to the Portuguese state in putting them out astronomical.