How to Prepare your Land Against Fire Hazards in Portugal

Portugal, with its diverse landscapes and Mediterranean climate, is prone to wildfires, especially during the hot and dry summer months. As a responsible landowner, it is crucial to follow the instructions of the local municipalities in order to avoid the risk of fires and to avoid a visit by the authorities and even a fine due to the neglect of handling what is defined as fuel and increases the risk of fires in the area. Now, the end of the winter is the best time to start preparing your land before it becomes hot and dry and consequently many prohibitions on the type of tools and when you can work with them. This article provides a comprehensive guide on preparing your land for fire hazards and the general guidelines applicable to landowners in Portugal.

The local Portuguese instruction for land clearance

All owners, tenants, usufructuaries and entities that own land located next to buildings in areas with fire hazards are responsible for proper management and maintenance of the land (50m around the building) from flammable risks even if they are not the owners of the buildings. What means that if your neighbor decides to renovate the ruin attached to your land you will be the one responsible for cleaning the land from fire risks. Failure to comply with cleaning the land by April 30th, the local authorities can replace the landowner in this task, to ensure the necessary cleaning work will be done properly. The landowners are obliged to allow access to the local authorities team and bear the expenses involved in carrying out the task and even getting a heavy fine. 

For more accurate information about the specific cleaning guidelines and the amounts of the fines try to call or check the local municipality website.

What land cleaning stands for:

• Around buildings located in rural/forest areas: Cutting and disposal (there are several efficient ways we will discuss later) of herbs and bushes among other plant materials, in no less than 50 meters width strip around buildings (houses, warehouses, workshops, factories, etc). This protection range starts from the exterior wall of the building.

• Trees that are 8m or more: Cutting and disposal all the branches up to 4m above the ground. Cutting tree branches helps prevent the fire from burning the tree branches and climbing vertically to the tops.

• Trees that are less than 8m: Cutting tree branches up to 50% of the tree height.

• spacing between trees: In case of pines or eucalyptus It is important to keep a distance of 10m space between their canopy (as they are highly flammable) its means cutting down trees that are closer than this, in case of other types of trees 4m space between their canopy is enough. 

• 5m or less around buildings: Completely clean from flammable trees, bushes as well as firewood or agriculture residues, and any other flammable material. Lucky us fruit trees are not considered flammable but still need to prune dry/dead branches and to be careful their branches do not stick out over the roof.

• Shrubs: must not exceed 50 centimeters in height

• In the case of herbaceous plants: must not exceed 20 centimeters in height.

• Roof cleaning: from any flammable material such as dry leafs, branches, pine gutters and more. In addition place a nonstick netting to the chimney

• Paths and roads: Is the responsibility of the land owner on which they are located. The paths/roads must have a clear 10m strip on each side and free from obstacles. There must also be a U-turn option for large vehicles.

• In the case of various objects and buildings located/crossing the land: voltage power lines, Natural gas pipeline, Rail network, Transmission lines in all of that and more the fuel management and clearance of the land around them is the obligation of the different owners company.

• Paved path: A significant advantage if possible to create up to 2m width of paved path around the building.
  

but before starting to do some serious actions, remember cleaning the land does not mean eliminating all vegetation. Furthermore, there are some protected species, such as cork/holm oaks and others, these trees can only be cut with authorization.

It is also possible to use to our advantage the organic residues from the pruning and cleaning maintenance for several different uses, for example:

• When possible, use the remains of the pruning to cover the soil as a mulch in order to maintain it and to encourage microbial activity.

• Those who have a wood chipper machine can use it to make an excellent mulch.

• Branches we pruned can be dried (away from buildings) and used for heating or outdoor cooking, or for the more advanced among us to make biochar.

• As food for animals.

• The suitable remains can be added to the compost pile.

Organic matter will eventually turn back into energy, which will feed the soil, so it is a shame to get rid of it.

All discussed until now are important Portuguese authorities cleaning maintenance instructions that every landowner must follow to protect human life who lives in these rural/forest areas from any fire risks.

Minimize the risks of fire

There are some preliminary steps that landowners should always take into account to minimize the risks of fire and the chances of someone getting hurt.

Understand the Fire Risk:

Before taking any preventive measures, it's essential to assess the fire risk specific to your area. Consult with local fire authorities and your neighbors to gain insights into historical fire data, weather patterns such as strong winds, and topographical features that may influence fire behavior. 

Create Defensible Space:

Establishing a defensible space around your property is critical to minimize the risk of wildfires reaching your home. Clear vegetation, leaves, and debris within a certain radius to create a buffer zone. Maintain this zone regularly, especially during the dry season.

Vegetation Management:

Regularly trim and prune trees and bushes, keeping them at a safe distance from structures.

There are NO fire-proof plants, but some are more fire-resistant than others. Choose fire-resistant plants for landscaping that are characterized with: high moisture content, slow growing or a small species, burn less intensely when ignited and spread the fire slower, such as: Aloe Vera, Butterfly Bush (Buddleia spp.), Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica), Maple (Acer spp.), Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic Tree), Arbutus Unedo (Strawberry Tree) and much more.

Avoid planting highly flammable species that are characterized with: low moisture, dry limbs and needles and abundant oils, such as: Pine, Eucalyptus, Acacia Dealbata (Mimosa), Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) and more.

Water Sources and Irrigation:

Ensure you have access to an adequate and reliable water source for firefighting purposes. Install irrigation systems to keep the soil around your property moist. Maintain a zone around your home where plants are well-watered acting as a natural barrier against wildfires.

Maintain Access Roads:

Clear access roads to your property to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles. Ensure that these roads are wide enough and free from overhanging branches. Trim vegetation along access routes to prevent the rapid spread of fires.

• Forest paths are infrastructures that make up the forest road network and support forest management, with an important role in monitoring and defending the forest against fires.

Emergency Preparedness:

Develop an emergency evacuation plan with your family. Equip your property with firefighting tools such as hoses, sprinkler systems, and fire-resistant curtains. Keep a readily accessible emergency kit.

Community Collaboration:

Collaborate with your neighbors to establish a collective approach to wildfire prevention. Participate in community clean-up events, and share information with neighbors to collectively reduce the risk of wildfires.

Stay Informed:

During the dry season try to stay informed about fire danger levels, weather conditions, and official alerts. Regularly check updates from local fire authorities and follow their recommendations. Early awareness can be crucial in taking timely action to protect your property.

summary

In Portugal, where the threat of wildfires is a recurring challenge, taking proactive steps to prepare your land is a responsibility that contributes to the safety of your property and the wider community and in order to ensure this, the local authorities have created specific rules that landowners have to follow or they will be fined so has responsables landowners we won't give them a reason to do so. It is important to know the critical fire period is normally from 1st July to 30th September but may start sooner and end later depending on the condition that the weather dictates