The minister foresees a difficult period of work due to rural fires and has no time for controversy

Interior Minister Margarida Blasco predicted Tuesday would be a busy period due to rural fires, saying now was not the time for quarrels or protagonism.

“Ahead of us lies a period of intense work to protect and protect people and property, a period of rolling up and rolling up our sleeves for a thankless struggle not only with the elements, but also with the hands that are criminally seizing the lives of our fellow citizens and their property, which has cost them so much sweat,” – said Margarida Blasko.

At the presentation in Oura, Santarem district, of the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires (DECIR) for 2024, Margarida Blasco noted that the time has come for “collaborative, clearly articulated work with the greatest priority being the need for unity of action and purpose.”

“From today, each of the structures, services and associations that make up this joint structure, as well as each of the individuals included in their composition, must renounce, as I know, in the name of Portugal, the search for personal, collective institutional protagonist or corporate, to embrace and fully integrate into the necessary joint actions,” he said.

For the governor, this is not a time of “quarrels or protagonists, but a time of action for the benefit of each of the citizens, all those who believe in the enormous value of each” of the operatives who, “with the means at their disposal, they will do everything to fulfill their” important role in the wider civil protection system.”

“Today, after a little over a month of management, it should not be of great importance to us from an operational point of view to know whether everything that should have been done to make the device that starts operating today more reliable and efficient has been done,” he said, noting that “It will be the government’s job” to “do everything to improve the system from now on.”

Referring to the fire engines that will be delivered to fire departments by the end of the year (81 in total, 10 of them today), the minister considered that “now is not the time to say whether they could achieve more,” since now is not “the time and place to look for blame on unfinished plans to acquire more and better aerial firefighting assets” but rather to “fully and effectively utilize” those that exist” without compromising efforts “to find broader and more sustainable solutions.”

On the other hand, he argues that now is not the time to abandon the cleanup, but to accelerate it while the government explores “more effective solutions that will benefit those subject to it.”

The minister also referred to the 2017 fires that killed more than 100 people in the Central Region, noting that lessons had been learned from these “terrible tragedies” and “planning efforts have been made to ensure that all available resources are mobilized, prepared and managed in the most effective manner.” and in an effective way, through the collective efforts of the state, institutions and individuals.”

“But in this government (…) we always want to go a little further. We cannot crystallize into an already automated evolution, but rather stimulate the quest for evolution, improving what needs to be improved and reforming what needs to be reformed. “, he added.

The number of operators involved in fighting rural fires will increase slightly this year, with 14,155 expected to be deployed during months considered the most critical, but the unit will have two fewer air assets, according to the national operational directive establishing DECIR.

The directive was approved on Monday and includes an increase in resources from Wednesday.

The minister explained to journalists that “the previous directive was in effect.”

“There is no gap between the directives,” assured Margarida Blasco and, regarding the smaller number of air resources, she responded that they are in “final adjustments” so that they can be made available.