About 20 tourist sites in the municipality of Odemira (Beja) were damaged, some of them with material damage, in a fire that broke out on Saturday, the association Casas Brancas, which is responsible for the damage, estimated this Thursday.
“We have several [alojamentos] along this section of the Alentejo coast, and property damage has occurred to some of them, such as Monte da Chosa, owned by the founder of Casas Brancas, who lost some of his housing and supporting infrastructure,” Monica McGill told Lusa. , president of the Casas Brancas chain.
He pointed out that other units that escaped the rampage of fire were affected “due to the departure of guests and some cancellations.”
While damage assessments are still underway, the official said, “there are several impacts to consider” from the fire, which has engulfed more than 8,000 hectares in the municipality of Odemira.
“We are talking here about perhaps 20 units, some even with material damage, and others with the consequences of a close fire, leaving and not entering new guests,” the person in charge explained.
On Wednesday, after firefighters were reported to have brought the blaze under control, many owners began slowly making their way back to their homes to “see exactly what they had lost,” he said.
Adding to “this new reality,” he said, are “some cancellations” as “the landscape is completely different” following the fire that has ravaged the area in recent days.
Therefore, Monica McGill said that government assistance to this tourism sector and the territory is “essential and indispensable.”
“I have always been in direct contact with the president of Turismo do Alentejo, to whom I told about the situation, as well as with the mayor [de Odemira]who has been tireless, and efforts are being made “with the government” to arrange a meeting soon to find out what support can be given to these people,” he said.
For the president of the Casas Brancas association, it is not enough to simply take into account the material damage, but also the damage caused by the closure of facilities that “need to be restored.”
“It is necessary to examine not only the immediate material damage, but also the recovery part and all the economic potential that was lost in the blink of an eye,” he warned.
Despite the drama experienced in recent days, the official recalled that “more than ever, the southwest of Alentejo and Costa Vicentina need universal support.”
“The scenery around some features may not be as expected, but the uninterrupted coastline is fantastic,” he said.
The fire that broke out on Saturday in the municipality of Alentejo in Odemir and engulfed the municipalities of Monchique and Aljezur (Faro) is still mobilizing almost 1,000 operators and six aircraft on the ground, although it has been under control since Wednesday.
By 12:00 p.m., 997 operators were on the ground, supported by 341 vehicles and seven aircraft, according to information published on the National Emergency Management and Civil Protection (ANEPC) website.
The fire, thought to be under control at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, is still a concern on several issues, especially on the southern front, so firefighters should remain on site in the coming days, a civil protection source said. briefing on Wednesday.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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