Domingos Xavier Viegas briefs hearing into the Fires in Madeira
Domingos Xavier Viegas said that his knowledge of the fires in Madeira in August is indirect, as he was not in Madeira when the fires broke out or after they were put out.
The hearing of Domingos Xavier Viegas, director of the Centre for Studies on Forest Fires, University of Coimbra, is currently taking place in the Assembly of the Republic, on the management of civil protection resources in the fire that occurred in August 2024 in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, as a result of a request by the PS.
Sofia Canha, deputy elected by PS-Madeira, regretted that the inquiry commission promoted by the Legislative Assembly of Madeira will not produce a final report, and therefore considers that it becomes more imperative to debate these issues in the Assembly of the Republic, especially because national resources were involved in fighting the fires.
Sofia Canha wanted to know what changes in Madeira led to rural fires having more intense consequences. The socialist wanted to know if there was a lack of appreciation on the part of political decision-makers in the first phase of fighting the fire. The local civil protection units were also the subject of debate.
“I don’t know the details”, but he argues that there should be an independent study on the fires in Madeira. However, he points out that this was done in Madeira during the 2016 fires, and on several occasions.
The climate in Madeira has changed, as in the rest of the world. Although there is no history of fires, they have become more serious. A large tourist population also deserves special attention, so if residents are not prepared to face fires, tourists are even less so. In addition, there have been changes in the Civil Protection structures over the last 20 years.
Regarding the assessment of the initial phase of the fire, there was “inefficiency”. Although he acknowledges that it was a place where it was difficult to intervene, he says that in the first photos it was possible to see an area where there could have been an initial attack. “The initial attack is very important”. 10% of ignitions on the continent have been put out in the initial attack.
Decisions to request external assistance should be based on technical documents.
The expert says he is a “fan” of Local Civil Protection Units, so that the population can defend themselves and their property. The initiative has been expanded across the continent, in order to mitigate the access of firefighters to more remote areas.
Domingos Xavier Viegas says he spoke with the mayor of Ponta do Sol. In this sense, he says the role of mayors in prevention and in passing on information to the population is crucial.
On the other hand, while respecting the autonomy of the Region, he says it is important to monitor what is being done on the continent, integrating a system that involves everyone. Risk governance can be done in different ways, but we must have the same principles.