“Since January, there have been 18 fire ignitions, with some occurring between 4:00 AM and 4:30 AM,” stated António Lopes, expressing significant concern over these figures.
On Saturday, two fires erupted in this municipality in Leiria district, one in the parish of Pedrógão Grande at 2:27 PM and another at 3:21 PM in the parish of Graça, necessitating the evacuation of residents from five villages as a precaution and leading to the closure of several roads, including national ones.
The Leiria Region’s Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Command reported that the fires were managed as a single incident, and the blaze was resolved by 3:40 AM on Sunday.
António Lopes praised the response deployed in this fire event, highlighting its scale and effectiveness, but he expressed “significant concern” about the potential for a recurrence.
“This implies there should be increased vigilance on the ground, and resources from the Army should be allocated” to Pedrógão Grande and surrounding municipalities, as “it’s unusual for so many ignitions to occur, especially these on Saturday,” said the mayor.
Suspecting arson, the municipal president also calls for enhanced investigation efforts.
“Summer isn’t over yet; it could last into October or even November, and we’re not safe,” he reiterated, urging authorities to “increase their investigative efforts, because it’s abnormal for this to happen,” António Lopes insisted.
Providing a provisional assessment of the fire damages, the mayor reported that two wooden houses were destroyed, one of which housed a woman and three children, as well as a storage annex.
These are trailer-mounted homes that frequently change location, the mayor explained, adding that the ownership of the second house is being determined.
In the case of the affected family, Social Services and Social Security are providing support, with food and essentials ensured, and the municipality plans to offer accommodation.
In June 2017, fires that broke out in Pedrógão Grande and spread to neighboring municipalities claimed 66 lives and injured 253, seven of whom were seriously wounded. The fires destroyed about 500 homes and affected 50 businesses.
In October of the same year, fires in the Central region resulted in 49 deaths and about 70 injuries, with a total or partial loss of around 1,500 homes and over 500 businesses.
