“Next Friday there will be a meeting of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Commission and, naturally, the Portuguese Firefighters League has some expectation” that “a set of initiatives can be decided upon so that, in a timely manner, the territories can be reconditioned” to allow “firefighters access to the areas most impacted” by the storm train in the central region, António Nunes told Lusa.

According to the leader, the issue concerns the situation of vegetation cover and forest stands in the Leiria and Santarém regions, which can only be restored with the intensive use of tracked vehicles.

It is necessary to “reorganise the distribution of tracked vehicles for the opening of firebreaks and clearing of paths,” but also to ensure “a substantial increase in surveillance of the most complex areas.”

“We will listen to what the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority has to say and implement in view of the risks and threats that are factual in some areas,” he explained.

The ultimate goal is to “coordinate a special prevention plan that must be implemented in areas where there is an increased risk resulting from the series of storms that occurred in a region with some weaknesses, even from the point of view of fire prevention.”

António Nunes warned that the effects of the storms in the central regions “will be prolonged and some are inducing potential new catastrophes,” such as the fire season.

Therefore, it is necessary to “build a response capacity so that a new catastrophe does not occur” during the fire season, the official added.

A meeting of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority with various partners is scheduled for Friday in Lisbon to discuss preparations for the fire season.