SundayWalk #8 - Fire ashes flew far away [Portugal's greatest forest fire tragedy]

Hello fellow Steemians!

Not that I like, but today I need to write about the greatest tragedy in terms of forest fires that hit my country this weekend.

Probably you might have seen it in the news (or not, if you are like me and don't like to see all that negative stuff on the tv and newspapers).

I couldn't avoid this one as it is happening in my hometown district - Leiria

Every single year, during the summer season, Portugal faces several forests fires. We already have registered some people die as a result in the past years, but it can't be compared to this event.

Yesterday while on my beach Sunday Walk I realized something very uncommon

It was a Eucalyptus burnt leaf...

Looking more carefully I noticed ashes were spread all over the beach

Ashes flew at least 39 miles straight

As you may see in the map above, those ashes came from the fire that is running in Pedrogão Grande, and believe me, I've seen ashes from other forest fires that flew from great distances as well, but not this fast (less than 24 hours) or not this black. People are saying this was a very quick consuming fire. No one has ever seen anything like this!!

A massive wildfire raging in Pedrogao Grande (a rural area about 90 miles northeast of Lisbon) trapped drivers, killing at least 62 people.

Portugal is in 3-day National mourning and Portuguese people are in deep grief, we never faced anything like this before.

Facts:

• A lightning strike was believed to have started the fire. At least investigators found a tree that was hit during a "dry thunderstorm," the head of the national judicial police said;

• The fire began at 2.43 on Saturday afternoon, “spreading rapidly”;

• It killed at least 62 people as they desperately tried to flee. Thirty people died inside their cars as they tried to flee between the towns of Figueiró dos Vinhos and Castanheira de Pera, 17 others died right outside their cars or by the road, 11 people died in the forest, two people died in a car accident related to the fire and information was missing on the other deaths;

• Raging in the mountainous, since Saturday (June 17), the fire is still running and 950 operatives (soldiers and firefighters), helped by 300 vehicles and airplanes,​ struggles​ to put out the blaze;

• Temperatures throughout the country remain extremely high, with fires breaking out up in almost every borough.

There are a lot of videos and photos available on the internet

I choose those three that shows what really happened​

My heart is deeply touched in the moment

Portuguese people are providing food and drink to different stations and organizations who will distribute the much needed supplies for firefighters​ and hundreds of people left homeless. It's also been asked for towels, sheets and children clothes.

To help survivors, a helpline was created at Caixa Geral de Depósitos, under the title “Unidos por Pedrógão”. The account can be accessed using Conta Solidária Caixa 0001 100000 330 – IBAN PT50 0035 0001 00100000330 42. Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) is a Portuguese state-owned banking corporation, and the second largest bank in Portugal, established in Lisbon in 1876.

Already known donations:

• André Vilas Boas will donate € 100. 000 to the solidarity fund created to support the victims of Pedrógão's fire;

• Portuguese Football Federation will make a donation;

• Catholic charitable organization​ Cáritas has pledged € 200. 000 to help victims;

• Aga Khan prince from Imamat Ismaili will donate € 500. 000;

• The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will create a fund with an initial allocation of € 500. 000;

• (...)

I will send some sheets and money to help. Feel free to send money to the CGD account if you want to help the victims and their families.