Vila Real: A Decade of Slow-Burning Fire Crisis Calls for Urgent Action

Vila Real's mayor has declared it's time for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) and the government to address the wildfire that has been consuming the municipality in a 'slow burn' for 10 days.

The upcoming night will also be one of "hard work" in Vila Real - PEDRO SARMENTO COSTA/LUSA

Alexandre Favaios, the mayor, emphasized the absurdity of a small country like Portugal allowing a fire to smolder for ten days, affecting 17 villages, including areas within the Alvão Natural Park (PNA). Despite the fire entering a resolution phase twice since it started on August 2 in Sirarelhos, the situation remains dire.

"The ANEPC and the Minister must now speak up," Favaios urged, criticizing the insufficient resources and the lack of communication from national authorities to the terrified local population. Operational teams are doing their best, but the mayor insists that the means on the ground are "clearly insufficient."

The fire has already destroyed three secondary homes, some abandoned houses, warehouses, and annexes. However, the mayor warns that "the municipality's lung is dying," with the environmental impact set to last for decades. Currently, 327 operatives, 106 vehicles, and four aerial means are mobilized, but the night promises more hard work ahead, with the priority being "homes and people's lives."

This crisis highlights the challenges faced by Portugal's forgotten interior, with the mayor calling for those in power to take responsibility and act decisively to end this prolonged disaster.