The Left Bloc (BE) announced on Monday, August 25, a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the coordination and resources for combating the wildfires that swept through the interior of mainland Portugal in August.
The announcement was made by the party leader in the early afternoon, from Oliveira do Hospital, where she is visiting areas affected by the fires.
After speaking with several locals about the fires that ravaged the region in recent weeks, Mariana Mortágua shared the news with journalists on-site. She emphasized the need to investigate these crucial issues, without undermining land management.
“We believe that, at this moment, it’s most important to understand how the command chains and disorganization in firefighting operated. We need to understand why prevention agencies failed and why Portugal still lacks the necessary aerial resources to combat these fires,” the parliamentarian argued.
Mariana Mortágua stated that there was a “political hierarchy problem” and that “firefighters report tremendous disorganization,” not among the field operatives, “who do their best, but within the command chains.”
