Landowners cut down forest after tragic fire in Nelas that killed 51 people

Now on the same site she owns a forest plot of 10 hectares and has cleared the land: “My husband and I are burning [de mimosas], but there is still a lot of work ahead. We count on the help of neighbors and friends, and in return we give them firewood for the winter.”

GNR, which is currently working on prevention, has marked the site as critical and is monitoring the owners. “In practice, we see that after the tragedy of 2017, owners became more aware of the dangers of not cleaning. And almost everyone is cleaned up, which creates a feeling of security,” says Andre Bautista, PNR commander in Mangualda.

The deadline for clearing forests and forest lands has been extended until Friday. From June 1, anyone who fails to comply will pay a fine ranging from 5 thousand euros for individuals to 25 thousand for collective enterprises. GNR would like to remind you that negligent behavior continues to be the main cause of fires in Portugal.