The Minister of Internal Affairs, Eduardo Cabrita, stated that the priority given to the prevention of forest fires “was a great victory in Portuguese society” because the importance of clearing the forest had never occupied so much time in the agenda of all.

In Braga, during the visit to the GNR station in Vila Verde, Eduardo Cabrita highlighted the “remarkable effort” Portugal made during the first half of 2018.

“Portugal is more aware, also a result of the terrible tragedy of last year. This is a priority theme for Portuguese society today, we are better prepared for this fight, “he added.

The Minister also emphasized the increased robustness of the fire-fighting program: “We have the means to be better prepared. We have a program involving 10,700 personnel for the period of greatest response, from firefighters, special forces, GNR, Armed Forces, a program with about a thousand men more than in previous years, we also constituted about 80 new permanent prevention teams in firefighters from north to south of the country.

Eduardo Cabrita emphasized the efforts of citizens and local authorities to prepare the fire season and highlighted the Safe People Safe Village program: “We already have more than a thousand villages involved in the project with a great intervention of the parish councils, in which they determine their evacuation routes, choose the local security officers and there is cooperation with the security forces and structures of civil protection