The Secretary of Health and Civil Protection of Madeira, Pedro Ramos, has said that he had not yet received the letter from the regional parliament about the recent forest fires, but has expressed his willingness to discuss his role during the incident.
“I am waiting, because I want to resolve this matter, so that we can immediately clarify all issues raised,” he said. “I’m already available. I’m just waiting for the request,” he said, and then reinforced: “I’m going to the Assembly to definitively clarify what was correct, what was a well-planned strategy, because the results are much better than in other exceptional situations that have unfortunately plagued Madeira since 2010.”
The request for the hearing of Pedro Ramos and also of the President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque (PSD), authored by the JPP, was approved on Monday in parliamentary committee, with the favorable votes of the proponent (two votes), the same number as the PS, one from the CDS-PP and the abstention of the four PSD deputies.
The JPP argues that “Miguel Albuquerque and Pedro Ramos have to be held responsible” from a political point of view and also “for the high degree of negligence, the patent bewilderment and the absence of timely decisions [in fighting the fire], which put the lives of populations and animals at serious risk”.
A source from the regional parliament told Lusa that the letters were sent on Tuesday to those concerned, noting that the date of the parliamentary hearing “depends a lot on the will and speed” of the parties themselves.
In addition to expressing his availability, the regional secretary for Health and Civil Protection reiterated today that the fight against the fire was undertaken correctly and seamlessly.
“The means that were used and the resources that were used in the Autonomous Region of Madeira were always used according to the information that arrived at the coordination and command centre. This is how the management of exceptional situations should be done”, he clarified.
Pedro Ramos stressed that although the fire that broke out on the 14th of August was declared extinguished on Monday there were “minor repercussions” compared to other events such as, for example, the floods in 2010 and the fires of 2012 and 2016. This year, he indicated, there is no record of victims or damaged houses, nor of major impact on the Laurissilva forest.
Regarding the donation of 2.2 million euros of support to Madeira approved on Tuesday by the Government of Timor-Leste to help in the “recovery of the damage caused by the fire,” Pedro Ramos expressed his thanks.
“I think that in these situations, contrary to some speeches that are incendiary and have nothing to do with the exceptional situation that we have all gone through […], naturally all solidarity from other regions is always welcome,” he declared, adding: “We never refuse help.”
The rural fire on the island of Madeira broke out on August 14 in the mountains of the municipality of Ribeira Brava, progressively spreading to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and Santana. On Monday, after 13 days, the regional Civil Protection indicated that the fire was “completely extinguished”.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System point to more than 5,104 hectares of burned area (nearly 10,000 football fields!).
Fighting the flames was hampered by the wind and high temperatures, but, according to the Regional Government, there is no record of injuries or the destruction of houses and essential public infrastructure, although some small agricultural productions have been affected, in addition to forest areas.
Data shows that only 1% of forest fires occur naturally. The rest are man-made!
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
The Judiciary Police is investigating the causes of the fire, but Miguel Albuquerque said it was arson.
