Once again, the National Association of Professional Firefighters (ANBP) and the National Union of Professional Firefighters (SNBP) have requested that the Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira and the Government of the Republic deploy an additional aerial resource, as stated in a joint communiqué released late afternoon.
According to professional firefighters, it is necessary to evaluate “the combat strategy regarding human resources and vehicles,” as well as “ensure the support of aerial resources to attack the flames that are burning in locations that prevent the arrival of ground resources.”
Meanwhile, a source from the Government of the Republic told Lusa that the executive would activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism to send two Canadair aircraft, with a specific typology to intervene in Madeira, to assist in operations in the archipelago, which currently has only one aerial resource (a helicopter).
ANBP and SNBP stated that an additional medium or heavy helicopter should be deployed, or “two aerial resources (Air Tractor or Fire Boss), tested in 2017, increasing the water capacity for firefighting.”
The professionals also said they do not want to “enter into political ‘tricks’ that, as always, heat up the summer at the expense of forest fires,” but they raised several questions about the government’s actions.
“The orography of the locations makes it difficult and almost impossible for firefighters to act,” they emphasized.
In a press conference today at 7:00 PM, the president of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, announced that the planes, which will be supplied with drinking water from the fire hydrants at the airport on Porto Santo Island, will begin operating from Thursday afternoon.
These planes will be “used mainly in the central mountain range,” he said, emphasizing that “none of these resources can be used in urban areas or agricultural areas, as they drop about 6,000 liters of water in each discharge.”
The head of the Madeiran executive also mentioned that the assessment of the viability of using the two Canadair aircraft began on Tuesday, explaining that the request for aerial resources was made by the region to the national government, which in turn formalized the request with the European authority.
The rural fire on Madeira Island broke out a week ago, on August 14, in the mountains of Ribeira Brava municipality, progressively spreading to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and through Pico Ruivo to Santana.
Over these eight days, authorities have instructed nearly 200 people to leave their homes as a precaution and provided public shelter facilities, but many residents have already returned, except for those in Fajã das Galinhas, in Câmara de Lobos.
Fighting the flames has been hampered by wind, now reduced, and high temperatures, but there are no reports of destruction of houses and essential infrastructure.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System, indicated by the president of the Regional Civil Protection Service, António Nunes, point to nearly 4,393 hectares of burned area up to 12:00 PM on Tuesday.
The Judiciary Police is investigating the causes of the fire, but Miguel Albuquerque has already said it was arson.
