7th of August 2018
Sadly there are fires again here in Portugal.
This year, or at least for now, they are rampaging in the south, in the Algarve area.
Since last Friday they have been spreading.
People have been evacuated from their homes.
Thousands of hectares have been destroyed.
The situation reminds us here in the central Portugal of June last year and October.
The wind is blowing heavily these hours and it feels great here in the centre where the heat was really bad last week. Just on my balcony one day the temperature was 50 degrees, it was like walking into a wall when I opened the door.
Today it is calm here in Penela, my little village. Last night I slept for the first time in some time with an open window. It felt good. I am in the centre of my little land.
My heart brakes when I look at the pictures and listen to the people in the south. I was there few years ago, visiting the areas that are now on fire.
The firemen here in Portugal are doing their best, but there is a limit to human power against horror like this.
It makes me furious when I see some of the comments, from foreigners living here, on the “Portugal news in English” page.
Just now I saw some comments about the fires in October last year here on the mainland, from some foreigners living in the land. They are complaining about not getting any help last year.
My question to those people would be if I did comment:
Do you have insurance?
Do you pay your taxes in Portugal?
Do you support the firemen in your district?
Do you know anything about the area and those who lost their homes last year?
I happen to know several Portuguese people who lost their homes last year in October.
I know that those who had insurance did get compensation and their houses are being rebuilt.
I know that people have got help from the cameras to rebuild their homes.
I feel angry when I read the complaints from the foreigners, some of them, who live here.
They knew what they were going into. Everyone knows that during the summer there are ALWAYS fires somewhere in the country. Or maybe they did not bother to investigate before they built their fancy houses in the woods far from everyone to enjoy the peace and quiet.
Stop complaining.
Go to the bombeiros and contribute. Open your purses. Oh yes it is wonderful to give water and biscuits, but you might just be generous and give them money so they can buy proper equipment to protect them while they are fighting the fires.
My heart is broken when I watch the news in the TV.
Everyone has to unite in their effort to help and stop blaming. We have this situation on our hands every year. The government is trying to do something even though it is not enough. It will be enough, perhaps, one day, but the main thing is that we, the public do our duty.
Clean your land of the rubbish, please, and stop making those comments about how you have been left out and nothing done to help you.
Pay your taxes where you live and make sure that the bombeiros in your area are able to buy proper protective clothes.
That is the least you can do.
Hulda Björnsdóttir
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