The forest fire of Pedrogão Grande, 3 months later...
Hello fellow Steemers!
As some of you might have seen a few months back, there was a huge forest fire in central Portugal that claimed the lives of 64 people. Today I passed through Pedrogão Grande, Castanheira de Pêra and Figueiró dos Vinhos (the area affected by the fire) while I was working and took some photos of the state of regrowth.
But first, a look at what happened...
First I would like to just say that I take my hat off to the Portuguese fire service (Bombeiros voluntários), it is a trained voluntary service. They do get paid when there is a forest fire, receiving €1.70 per hour for their heroic deeds which is less than the €2.40 that jailed criminals receive for doing nothing.
At the beginning of this summer, Portugal was experiencing droughts and strangely high temperatures (40ºC <), this coupled with a gentle warm breeze created perfect conditions for the fire to start and spread. Unclear whether it started by human hand or by dry lightning the fire quickly spread fanned on by winds that seemed to surge from nowhere. The flames engulfed the region from the 17th - 24th of June 2017 claiming the lives of 64 people and injured another 254, the fire burnt 410 square kilometers of forest to a cinder.
Residents from villages in the area said that it seemed like a cyclone of fire was bearing down on them, all they had time to do was get inside the house and hope for the best. Unfortunately some residents got into their cars and tried to flee the area only to be caught up in the midst of it.
Area now known as "A Estrada da Morte" (The Road of Death)
Two cars had crashed amidst the smoke making several cars "pile up", all occupants perished.
A total area of 410 square kilometers was reduced to ash, the raging fires could be seen from space.
Around 2500 firemen, 30 aircraft and 500 vehicles were mobilized to try and fight the inferno. Medical stations (Image) and temporary shelters were put up in stadiums and sports halls in the towns and villages that hadn't yet been affected. The army was eventually called in to help fight the fires.
Helicopters try to aid in the people on the ground
Inferno visible from space
The firemen, volunteers and the army fought the flames 24h a day for the whole week, eating and resting whenever and wherever it was possible. People from the local villages allowed the fire fighters to rest in their homes and kept them fed.
Firemen rested where ever they could
More firemen resting
After finally defeating the last of the flames on the 24th, national mourning was declared and the devastation was all too apparent.
- 64 dead (including 4 children)
- 254 injured (7 critically)
- 410 square kilometers burnt
- 90% of Pedrogão Grande was turned to ash
- 80% of Castanheira de Pêra was turned to ash
- 60% of Figueiró dos Vinhos was turned to ash
- 2,500 firemen, 30 aircraft, 500 vehicles and an unknown number of volunteers fought the flames
- 3rd most deadly forest fire in Europe
- 11th most deadly forest fire in the world
3 Months later...
Three months have passed since the inferno engulphed the region. All the roads have been re-painted and the road signs have been replaced, vegetation has started to re-grow and re-construction has commenced, unfortunaltey nothing will bring back the poor souls who lost their lives.
Here are the photos I took today (admittedly from within my car) of the area that was most affected.
A few pine tree husks left standing
Remnants of acacia trees, the forest singed in the valley below
A 4x4 sits under the shelter, an eerie monument to what happened
You can still see the dead trees for as far as the eye can see
A concrete telephone pole lies on the ground, its iron re-bars curled up from the intense heat
The sun shining through the trees, a distinct lack of foliage
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