The Madeira Rally 2025, which starts tomorrow and attracts thousands of spectators, coincides with a period of high risk of fire, which motivated the Regional Civil Protection Service (SRPC) to warn of the importance of reinforcing care and adopting preventive behaviours.
According to the note issued by the entity, depending on the dynamics of the event, the following may occur: possible rural fires, in a framework that may hinder suppression actions; concentration of people in rural and leisure areas; increase in road traffic as a result of commuting movements of the population during the event; and possible increase in the number of road accidents as a result of this movement.
In this sense, those who intend to attend the rally events, the Civil Protection recommends that all spectators adopt these safety measures:-
- Always respect the indications of the authorities and the organisation, including the space delimited by the tapes.
- Stay in safe areas and avoid prohibited or dangerous places (ditches, the middle of the road…).
- Be attentive, avoiding risky behaviour near race areas.
- Keep children under constant surveillance.
- Do not take animals.
- Avoid anything that could cause a forest fire.
Recalling that bonfires and burnings are prohibited until the 31st of October, the authority also takes the opportunity to leave recommendations to the general population, such as: adopt defensive driving, adapting it to the state of the road, visibility conditions, the vehicle’s state, and the intensity of traffic; check the good working condition of the vehicles; comply with the legislation in force regarding the intake of alcoholic beverages while driving and the use of mobile phones during driving; be attentive to weather information and indications from Civil Protection and Security Forces; Check for conditioned or closed roads on the official website of the race; and if you detect a fire or other emergency situation, call 112.
