Presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo criticized the strategy for combating wildfires, stating it is “unacceptable” that eight years after the Pedrógão Grande tragedy, there are still shortcomings in addressing rural fires.
“Eight years after Pedrógão Grande, it is unacceptable to have structural failures of the State in planning, organizing, and preventing rural fires,” he wrote in the caption of a video posted on his campaign page.
“United, we must develop a forest economy with interior repopulation, forest planning, and fire prevention to protect lives, create wealth, and enhance the territory,” it reads.
In the video, Gouveia e Melo also noted that rural fires affect Portugal “year after year”: “I was in Pedrógão in 2017, spent 2017 as a military officer, permanently involved in firefight overhauls and population support. What do I see today, once again on television? Seven, eight years later, it is exactly the same situation.”
When I saw that all three ‘Canadair’ aircraft were out of operation, I felt utterly ashamed.
The presidential candidate highlighted some changes that should be implemented, particularly concerning the ‘Canadair’ aircraft that help fight the flames, which faced issues this week: “It is unacceptable, in terms of planning and organization, for three aerial resources like the ‘Canadair’ to suddenly all be broken.”
“When I saw that all three ‘Canadair’ were inoperational, I felt utterly ashamed—both as a state agent and as a Portuguese—because this is the collapse of organization,” he stated, advocating for the development of a forest economy and more repopulation in the interior.
“In terms of combat and prevention, we need to equip the entire State with a solid, organized, and planned response. We cannot continue improvising. This is the State of improvisation,” he criticized.
Below is the complete video:
It is recalled that on Monday, the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) explained that the two ‘Canadair’ planes assigned to the Special Rural Firefighting Device (DECIR) became inoperative, with a third available for replacement in case of eventual breakdowns, but it was also out of service.
In response, the Ministry of Internal Administration activated the bilateral cooperation mechanism in civil protection matters established with Morocco, so the country could lend these aircraft to combat the flames.
The Ministry of Internal Administration activated the bilateral cooperation mechanism in civil protection established with Morocco. This comes as Portugal’s heavy firefighting ‘Canadair’ aircraft are out of service.
Carmen Guilherme with Lusa | 18:30 – 11/08/2025
Portugal is on alert until at least Friday due to the fire risk, and several fires have broken out in the north and center of the country in recent weeks, consuming nearly 60,000 hectares this year.
[News updated at 18:58]
