Ingles

Or a BIC lighter - Yesterday the Bombeiros finally got the blaze in the Alijo area under control after 3 day's , It's been reported is started at - madrugada- at daybreak on Sunday last ????

macliam

I don't believe the incidence of heartles b@$tards is any higher in Portugal than elesewhere, nor the number of arsonists, etc. etc. So the cause of the fires lies elsewhere. All the methods of combustion are available elsewhere; other places get just as hot and dry; So what makes the situation in Portugal so much worse?

Firstly, the dominance of eucalyptus - in many places it's almost a monoculture (and it would be, if the growers weren't too lazy to remove any accidental blow-ins!) With eucalyptus leaves, there is no need for firelighters and the spread of any fire is both rapid and extensive.

Secondly, the poor conditions of the plantations and the proximity to habitation, roads, etc.

I hear much about the "small" owners and the costs of clearance, so it's time for a radical approach, I would suggest that the government should compulsory purchase any land under a certain area and impose strict licensing on anything bigger.

There would be no need to pay any capital cost now - if the land is not usable for anything else, then it is only the averaged annual income that needs to be paid, based on IRS returns. The capital cost can be paid off in when the land is sold on, less the cost of maintenance whilst under government control. Payments for any land with no clear ownership could be held "in trust", overcoming another "problem" and by tying the annual income to IRS declarations, any cowboys will be caught out , so, it could be a win for the government.

Land could then be packaged into larger units and sold on, subject to strict licensing committments for maintenance, etc. These larger plantations will make compliance a more economic requirement - and failure to meet the terms would result in loss of license and the need to sell on the land or have it re-purchased as with the smaller packets.

In this way, the current chaotic situation could be brought under control rapidly. After this, the options of reducing the monoculture and replanting with alternatives can be studied, rather than, as now, where much is said but nothing really happens and the fires continue year on year.

Ingles

[QUOTE=macliam;12297700]I don't believe the incidence of heartles b@$tards is any higher in Portugal than elesewhere, nor the number of arsonists, etc. etc. QUOTE]

Hi macliam. I'm not trying to be argumentative ,but on lunch time TV News it was reported that the Bombeiros had finally got on top off the fire @ Torre de Moncorvo , only to see in the distance another spot flare up, They caught the b@$tard red handed !
+
State off the Fire's in PT Today

https://fogos.pt/

macliam

[QUOTE=Ingles;12297931] Oh, I'm not saying that it doesn't happen - just that once a fire has started, the monoculture and poor maintenance makes it almost certain to spread. In some ways, catching an arsonist is a distraction from the REAL issue - and a good excuse for the authorities to do nothing (again).

Ingles

[QUOTE=macliam;12297954] Frankly I can not disagree with the above to some extent , but Arson & plain bloody stupidity are responsible for a great majority off the fires getting started, this is a proven fact
The heading in the link :-

"The area burnt this year is 12 times more than the same time period in 2016"

https://eco.pt/2017/06/19/area-ardid...riodo-de-2016/

Also in this link is = Fires so far in Porto Area 1.118 - Braga Area 815 - Vila real Area 672
Hell's teeth !!!
But at last & happily the Gov are at last doing something constructive about this , The PS & Left Wing Parliamentarians sat down yesterday afternoon & worked for 15 straight hour's until 0.70 this morning to put together a "diploma" = White Paper that will heavily restrict the replantation's off Eucy, & encourage the planting off indigenous tree species.

Obviously the PSD & CDU will do there level best to try to annul it, as you know a fair bit off funding from the Cellulose Industry end up in these parties coffers.

Diddion

In the long term, hitting people in the pocket can be a powerful motivating force. If larger landowners are subject to a significant annual forestry tax which can be reduced in steps to zero if specific and precisely defined fire prevention and containment measures are undertaken, I suspect that there would be a rapid improvement in those areas of need. Is this a worthwhile idea?

macliam

[QUOTE=Ingles;12297984] As I said above, if they're clever they could solve a lot of the issues without the cellulose industry being affected - as it is at the moment, they don't deal direct with old Pedro who has a couple of hectares of trees, they deal with Xico esperto who acts as the middle-man and makes money with little risk and even less responsibility. So, if Pedro ceases to be the beneficial owner, Xico either ups his game or finds another way to make money - but the cellulose plants will still get their product. With the supply-line cut down, it's far easier to force the beneficiaries to comply with maintenance requirements.

But that takes will......

Ingles

At long last

Forestry Reforms fast-tracked - The Portugal News

macliam

Indeed, but as one of the comments says, enforcement will be key.

It's relatively easy to make laws, but they don't do anything unless someone enforces them - and presumably this again will be left to SEPNA (Serviço de Proteção da Natureza e do Ambiente), who are already overstretched and tasked with enforcing all the new environmental and animal cruelty laws.

So, will the government now pay for the expansion of the "GNR ambiental" or divert resources from elsewhere, or will this just become another task for the 5 SEPNA officers assigned to cover 2,500 km.sq. in my region?

PS - the fact that the GNR website mis-spells SEPNA as spena in the URL speaks volumes!

Eric.is.....

Today's I news is carrying a story of a 'boy' going round local Pedrogao undertakers who has counted 88 dead and other people make estimates that the total dead will be in 3 figures. A total needed for a monument; but then add to this the unknown - wild camping in the forests - yet to be found?

https://ionline.sapo.pt/artigo/57345...cao=Portugal_i

mfesharne

The existing firebreak laws of 50 metres from lone buildings, 100 metres from villages etc & 10 metres from roadside verges is adequate (but more would be better) however those laws are rarely if ever observed or enforced.

My place is the Easternmost house in Nodeirinho where 11 died in the village & more than 50 more within 5 km of it and we were the first house hit.

If the firebreak law had been observed in the block of commercial woodland behind my house had been observed the fire couldn't have entered the village at all.

Ingles

Money talk's & joe public fight back

http://algarvedailynews.com/news/121...he-near-future

Ingles

Well some people like to keep the Bombeiro's busy over the week end !!!
Yesterday it was reported there where 131 active fires on the Português Mainland
I make no other comment !

Ingles

Just reported on TVI New's
Yesterday there where reported 220 Active Fires !!!!
p.s. Yes I know it was extremely hot.

I fully stand behind my statement that a great majority off the Fires are started by "Heartless Bastards" &/or plain bloody stupidity

i.e. They picked up a man who had a good night in the local Café , when questioned over the origin off the 4 fires which sprang up within a very short in the area he was stopped in, he admitted he started them, as he enjoyed watching the fire men at work trying to put them out.

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/B...por-fogo-posto

Annetje

Here they picked someone up who started 17 fires over the last 10 days !!!