The mountain villages of the Sotavento Algarvian councils speak of nothing but the fire that broke out at dawn on Monday, August 16, in the locality of Pernadeira, Odeleite (Castro Marim) and which, after being overpowered, returned to rekindle and reached the neighboring counties of Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António.
There were about 6.700 hectares of forest area that burned in a day and a half of fire. The fire caused moments of alarm and panic among the populations, but was subdued in the afternoon of Tuesday, August 17, and is now nearing completion.
At a small snack bar in the town of Estorninhos, in the União de Freguesias de Conceição and Cabanas de Tavira, this is one of the topics of conversation while having lunch. The flames didn't let the residents sleep soundly, but now that things are calmer, it's time to look back and take stock of the situation.
During the conversation, rumors surface that "they already know that it was arson in Pernadeira, in Odeleite." Maria Conceição says that "they told her" that "there are few firefighters fighting the flames", but they also told her about the fire that hit the Monte Rei golf course, a few kilometers away, in Vila Nova de Cacela, "where one of the buildings, the space cafe'.
“Here there wasn't much damage of value, what burned was bush and a few things here and there. But a house burned down close by”, says Maria Conceição during the conversation.
A little over three kilometers away, in Faz Fato, the flames began to climb hills and approached the narrow tarmac road. A house, with the heat that was felt, began to burn after the glass in the door shattered.
O Sul Informação he knows that it is a house rented by an English lady, who thus saw the place where she lived being destroyed by flames. Upon arrival at the site, our newspaper no longer found anyone near the house.
Also in Cortelha, in Castro Marim, almost all of a warehouse was consumed by flames, with cereals, carobs and other agricultural products that the owners had stored on fire. Agricultural machinery and vehicles were also destroyed.
To help these and other fire victims, the municipality of Castro Marim decided to create a Crisis Cabinet, because «the State support, loaded with bureaucracy and slowness, may not respond to these situations, which require urgent help», explains Francisco Amaral, president of the City Council, in a note sent to the newsrooms.
The mayor emphasizes that there were "failures in fighting the fire", namely "in the withdrawal of air resources when the fire was declared as under control" the first time, on Monday afternoon.
During the morning of yesterday, Tuesday, despite the situation seeming calmer, there were still hot spots to rekindle near the town of Malhada do Peres, in the União de Freguesias de Conceição and Cabanas de Tavira.
The quick response of the aerial means that flew over the fire's perimeter was enough to control the small reanimations of the flames.
One of the concerns that had arisen during Maria Conceição's conversation concerned the “National Forest of Conceição de Tavira which burned down almost all the way through the night”.
José Manuel Guerreiro, vice president of Tavira City Council, told the Sul Informação, that fire entered, began to consume it and quickly "devastated about 80% of its territory", including a large part of the 24 hectares that the Leisure Park.
Although the Municipality has not yet «a survey of the hectares that burned», the mayor has no doubts that this was a «very striking» fire for the municipality.
«The National Forest, a sanctuary of a series of species that breed here, is largely burned down. Only the deer that live here remained in this Leisure Park», he lamented.
This morning, August 18, the municipality's workers moved ahead with the replacement of the fence at the Mata da Conceição Leisure Park, in the areas where it was damaged, in order to protect the animals and prevent the entry of predators.
As for the economic consequences for the inhabitants of the parish, the mayor emphasizes that, «when trees and plants such as the carob, almond, orange or vines burn», it is being destroyed «one of the sources of income for many people who live on the hill".
"Even if [the people who live here] have the courage to replant what burned, they will not have the pleasure of seeing this space again, these burned hectares, in the same way they saw them before the fire," stressed José Manuel Guerreiro.
A concern shared by Ana Paula Martins, Mayor of Tavira, who points out that "the fire had a strong impact on the mountainous area", having affected "several agglomerates"
The mayor expressed, on her Facebook page, "solidarity with all those who suffered losses in this fire", stating "the availability to, together with the municipal teams, help to minimize the impacts suffered".
After thanking all those who helped to fight this fire, Ana Paula Martins said: «now that everything is calmer, it's time to roll up our sleeves and work to repair the losses».
In the neighboring municipality of Vila Real de Santo António, in Santa Rita, the flames ravaged an illegal shelter for dogs, who all burned to death. All that remained were the iron plates and gratings of an unfit space. The ICNF has already opened an inquiry to find out how this clandestine kennel could be working, in that place, with those conditions.
This fire, which devastated 6700 hectares of the municipalities of Castro Marim, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António, it broke out at 1:05 am on Monday, August 16, at Pernadeira, in the parish of Odeleite, having obliged to evacuate mountain dwellers, mostly elderly, to Azinhal.
The attack of aerial means as soon as the sun rose allowed the fire to enter being resolved at 10:20 am, but, in the middle of the afternoon, there was a strong re-ignition, that spread quickly.
The fire was again reported as dominated yesterday afternoon, August 17, around 16 pm, entering the aftermath phase.
This morning, August 18, the fire came to an end, with the demobilization of part of the assets that were on the ground. In the wake of two days of flames, the life work of many people was destroyed, including young farmers, who insist on living in the interior and had invested their savings there.
Photos: Rúben Bento | Sul Informação
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