A fire is so like a human in many ways – and although it would be difficult to throttle off the oxygen a wildfire craves, we can remove or control the fuel this beast needs. Those living in Portugal should be aware that there are land clearance rules in place for a good reason, and the law requires all landowners to clear flammable materials, such as bushes and undergrowth, from their land by 30 April each year. This year, however, the government extended the deadline until 31 May (since the publication of this article, the fire clearance deadline has been extended to 15 June) due to the bad weather we experienced earlier in the year, but failure to meet that deadline could still result in significant fines

A fire-break of 50 metres should be created around all homes, warehouses, workshops, factories and yards. Trees should be pruned of branches up to 4 metres above the ground and have a distance of at least 4 metres between them (10 metres if pine or eucalyptus trees). An area of 100 metres around villages, campsites, industrial parks, logistics platforms and landfills must be cleared of trees. As well as avoiding fines, compliance with these laws supports the preservation of property values and will ultimately protect investments.

Sounds like a lot of old fuss, doesn’t it? Everyone thinks a fire won’t start in their area 'because it hasn’t before’, or they are in a built-up area where there isn’t much foliage. But the rules are there for a reason, and everywhere is at risk.

Everything is fuel for a fire

Not much is spared if a fire gets out of hand, and the simplest thing can start a raging inferno in a really short time. On a hot summer's day when drought conditions peak, something as small as a spark from a train wheel can ignite a raging wildfire. Sometimes, fires occur naturally, ignited by heat from the sun or a lightning strike, but most wildfires are caused by human carelessness. Arson, campfires left unattended, discarded cigarette ends, not burning debris properly, and playing with matches or fireworks are often blamed.

Pyromania or Arson?

Pyromania is an impulse-control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, to relieve some tension or for instant gratification. However, arson is a crime, and is the act of wilfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although arson typically involves buildings, perhaps for monetary gain, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things – such as forests. Despite these distinctions, courts apply these terms interchangeably, and sadly, last year, there were 9 deaths due to wildfires in Portugal.

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Steps for effective land clearance

Land clearing involves more than cutting grass and pruning trees. It’s managing undergrowth and safely removing vegetation near buildings and critical infrastructure, taking care especially when it comes to protected species.

Why can they spread so quickly?

Once it's started, a wildfire can greedily spread due to the wind or because of the availability of fuel. If the land is sloped, a 10% upward gradient would double the speed of the fire, while 20% would quadruple the spread speed. Slopes can preheat the fuel above it, so if a fire is spreading up a mountain, it will go fast – and the more fuel there is, the more violently the fire will burn. Once a fire starts, wind feeds the oxygen supply, and increases the spread by carrying heat and burning embers to new fuels, or by fanning flames closer to the unburned fuels ahead of it.

How to beat the fire

Water is sometimes unavailable in remote locations, so we should control the fuel because we can't control the rain. Simple. Once a fire has taken hold, anything that can fuel it should be removed, or a fuel break created (basically a big trench or a wide cleared area), and wildfire suppression techniques might involve firefighters setting their own fires to burn vegetation ahead of an advancing wildfire.

But it’s never that easy, so our compliance with the rules can make it easier for our heroic fire professionals who have to deal with it.

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan