Avelino Lima, head of the Permanent Monitoring and Support Group for Forest Fires at the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), stated that most arsonists are men. However, there has been an increase in the number of women detained in the past year, who often have “low literacy” and “substance abuse problems,” particularly alcohol.
In an interview, Lima, who also serves as the PJ’s Central Director, explained that since 2015, approximately 700 fire perpetrators have been studied, providing a “strong technical understanding” of their profiles.
“We are mainly discussing men – though, for instance, there was a change last year where about 20% were female – individuals with low literacy, substance issues primarily involving alcohol, and some family dysfunctions,” he said.
“So, we are effectively dealing with people who generally lack education,” he elaborated.
Regarding intention, Avelino Lima indicated that “it is not possible to assign a comprehensible cause to this reality.”
“Some individuals decided on a whim to act on that day; others are stimulated by the spectacle around the firefighting efforts, and some pass through the forest, ignite a fire, and cannot even explain why they did it,” he explained. “At this moment, it is not possible, concretely and objectively, to identify a cause for this behavior,” he stated.
On the other hand, Lima noted that the PJ does not have “elements to corroborate” the existence of organized crime behind some of these incidents.
“We have individuals suspected of more competent execution of arson, but asserting organized crime in this context is not something we can confirm at this point,” he declared.
Fires Have Consumed Nearly 42,000 Hectares
Forest fires have consumed nearly 42,000 hectares this year, eight times more than in the same period in 2024, marking the highest figure since 2022, according to data from the Integrated Rural Fire Management System (SGIFR).
The data indicate that since January 1, there have been 5,211 fires, resulting in 41,644 hectares of burned area. Additionally, 72% of the burned area and 53% of the fires occurred in the North region, particularly intense in the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Vila Real, and Porto over the past week.
More than half of the area burned since July 26.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of fires has almost doubled, and the burned area is eight times greater. By August 5, 2024, 4,671 hectares had burned, while this year it reached 41,644 hectares.
Despite most fires still being under investigation, data show that 19% of fire occurrences were due to the use of fire and 14% to arson.
Os incêndios florestais já consumiram este ano quase 42 mil hectares, oito vezes mais que no mesmo período de 2024 e o valor mais elevado desde 2022, segundo o Sistema de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais (SGIFR).
Lusa | 16:57 – 05/08/2025
