According to data from the GNR up to July 31, the districts with the highest number of arrests are Vila Real (8), Porto (7), Guarda (5), Braga (4), and Leiria (4).
It is also noted in a statement that this year, 10,417 instances of lack of land cleaning were identified across the country.
“Given the worsening risk of fire in large areas of the national territory, prompted by rising temperatures, strong winds, and low relative humidity levels,” the Guarda Nacional Republicana states that it has “significantly strengthened its commitment to preventing and combating rural fires.”
In this context, the GNR is intensifying visibility patrols and surveillance in high, very high, and maximum risk forest and agricultural areas through its Nature and Environment Protection, Protection and Relief, Territorial, and Criminal Investigation units, aiming to deter negligent behaviors and early detection of suspicious situations.
The GNR once again calls on the responsibility of the population, emphasizing the importance of avoiding actions that could trigger fires, such as smoking, making fires or bonfires, burning, launching rockets, and using hot air balloons.
It also calls for people to avoid “fumigating or disinfecting beehives, except if fumigators are equipped with spark-retaining devices,” and to refrain from circulating with tractors, machinery, and heavy transport vehicles without a fire extinguisher, spark-retaining system, or spark arresters on exhaust pipes or chimneys.
As a preventive measure, the GNR recommends that the population keep up with meteorological warnings and fire risk levels through official channels, “immediately inform the authorities (112) in case of smoke or fire,” and avoid unnecessary trips to forest areas on days of higher risk.
Since February 16, the GNR has been conducting the Safe Forest Campaign 2025, implementing awareness, inspection, surveillance, and detection actions for rural fires, investigating the causes of forest fire crimes, and validating burned areas.
The goal, it states, is to “prevent, detect, combat rural fires and suppress illegal activities, aiming to ensure the safety of populations and the preservation of forest heritage.”
“The protection of the forest and the population is everyone’s responsibility. The preventive action of each citizen is essential to avoid tragedies and preserve our natural heritage,” it warns.
