Last updated on April 27, 2020
The Critical Fire Period in Portugal is the designated time during the year which fire prevention measures and special actions may be taken due to exceptional meteorological circumstances.
A year was divided into 5 forest fire risk periods which are set down in the DECIF (Dispositivo Especial de Combate a Incêndios Florestais) plan for the specific year as approved and published by the ANCP.
These time zones dictate when it is legally forbidden to and do any kind of burning or use of fire, such as bonfires, barbecues, land clearance controlled burns (prescribed burns) or use potentially incendiary equipment such as fireworks, sky lanterns or machinery that may emit sparks such as vehicles, chainsaws, strimmers, bee smokers in high risk rural areas. This also includes the negligent disposal of smouldering cigarette/cigar butts. Access to forest areas by unauthorised persons may also be restricted at this time.
The 2017 time zones were:
- Alpha: 1st January to 14th May
- Bravo: 15th May to 30th June
- Charlie: 1st July to 30th September – The Critical Fire Period
- Delta: 1st October to 30th October
- Echo: 1st November to 31st December
The Critical Fire Period can be adjusted by legal ordinance where exceptional risks are determined, such as was done after the June 17 fires when it was moved to begin on 22 June 2017 and extended to 15 October, then again to 15 November 2017.
The phases Alpha to Echo are used to denote the number and strength of fire-fighting equipment and personnel allocated to various areas of Portugal, based on their priority of fire risk. For example, from the DECIF 2017 plan, in the Bravo phase for Leiria, 1 Medium (Water) Bomber Helicopter was based in Pombal. In Charlie phase, an additional Light (Water) Bomber Helicopter was to be based at Figueiró dos Vinhos.
In reality, when the Pedrógão Grande fire ignited in Bravo phase, the initial attack light helicopter came from Ferreira do Zêzere. A second initial attack back-up aircraft which should have been called, based on the fact Pedrógão Grande was a priority fire risk area, was never deployed. The H15 helicopter available at Pombal was not called but an hour later was dispatched to a fire alert at Moninhos Fundeiros in Figueiró dos Vinhos. It appeared it was overlooked that another available helicopter was based at Pampilhosa da Serra, 20 km away.
Interesting to note, according to an article in Público extending the 2017 Critical Fire Period actually meant the extension of the burning activity restrictions NOT the extended provision of Charlie-level fire combat equipment and personnel. So when the major 14th – 16th October fires occurred the fire combat strength was in Delta phase.
The 2020 Critical Fire Period is due to start on 30 June.
Outside the Critical Fire Period there are still legal restrictions on burning activities which depend on the level of forest fire risk for the time of year:
Reduced – Moderate – High – Very High – Maximum.
These risks are assessed, classified and published by INCF – Institute For Nature Conservation And Forestry and IMPA – Portuguese Institute Of The Sea And Atmosphere where you can check the fire risk status of your area.
CTI Report Observations On Fire Risk Phases
CTI Report 12 October 2017 (Relatório da Comissão Técnica Independente) criticises the rigidity of the DECIF planning and readiness levels being not compatible with the inter-seasonal variation of the conditions and the needs of fire management activities.
Despite the meteorological warnings of conditions favourable to the occurrence and spread of forest fires prior to the 17 June, there was a lack of anticipation, decision, assessment and pre-suppression action by the fire-fighting command structure.
IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere) informed CNOS – Comando Nacional de Operações de Socorro / National Relief Operations Command of their meteorological forecasts and as a consequence CNOS released a special Yellow level alert from June 16 at 08.00 to June 18 at 11.59. CNOS records state…”Adverse Meteorological Conditions – Danger of forest fire”…”between 16 and 18 (June), the maximum temperature may reach values between 40 and 43 ° C in the interior regions”…”associated with moderate winds and humidity below 30%”.
- Fire detection stations closer to the occurrence of Pedrógão Grande were not yet active.
- There was no mobile surveillance nor pre-positioning of combat means in strategic location, with the exception of forest rangers.
The CTI report goes as far as saying…“the inability to recognise and / or respond timely and adequately to the weather conditions that would be faced on the 17th is the genesis of the tragedy of Pedrógão Grande”.
