Vocal Voices

we get the morons lighting fires.

Some to clear their land, because that's what their parents, grand parents etc did.

And then wonder why it got out of control, when you have winds of up to 100km an hour.

Then you have the weirdos, who light fires because they like to see the flames.

There are the odd fag out of the window, beer bottle etc. Even the odd car fire, or like idiot next door, leaving engines running on grass

We have had a fairly quiet summer, re fires, until this week.

Twenty plus fires up north and a huge one, about an hour and a half away. Eleven planes and helicopters going over us, heading to the coast, people being evacuated, its quite scary.

We were sat outside, earlier, watching them go over, some from Beja, some for Ourique, some from further up north, where a really big fire has been put out - ish - and it really brings it home how tinder dry this country is.

And how the authorities have really got their act together, after 2017, when over 100 people died, in their cars, on one stretch of road, because of confusion.

They mentioned the fire(s) in the Algarve on the radio this morning Jan - just horrendous. Fingers crossed they all stay far away from where you are - stay safe xxx

Hope you will be ok where you are xx

We're fine thank you x

Just seems that every year we got one or two really big fires that take a long time to control. The high winds don't help.

The one in Odemira is still burning. We have one television station that normally shows all the drams and traumas in the country, fires predominate this time of year.

The fires have just been on the news here, Jan - it looks awful!

It is so scary Kaz.

We had one not far from here, a few years ago, a local moron (foreigner) had a bbq in the middle of a filed, which then blew over and whoops

Heaven knows how many hectares burnt, and very close to us.

Luckily, for us, the wind was blowing it in the other direction.

I walked there, a couple of years ago,with Jan, Chris and the dogs and the devastation was still so evident.

Last time I saw the news, 48 people had been injured - some fire fighters, some people taking care of their homes.

We have plans, as most people do here, about what to do. I have a bag packed, under one of the beds, ready, in case we have to leave quickly.

Animals, sadly, will have to take their chance, Trying to get Molly and then into a basket, forget it.

We are registered with the Alerta team who are brilliant, raise mega dosh for the bombeiros, buy uniforms for them, replace all sorts of stuff, buy water, energy bars and whatever they need. As we have 3 acres of land, we are more than happy to help with people needing ground for their horses etc and we have also offered two bedrooms, in case of emergency.

I truly hope it doesn't come to that Jan, but it's good you're prepared if necessary ((((x))))

Very happy to read that the big fire is now under control. Is still raging, but they have managed to contain it. Now they can drown it.

In 2003(?) we were camping in Le Lavandou, Var, SoF, when a fire broke out inland near Cavalaire-sur-Mer / Grimaud It was allegedly started by a disposable BBQ on a campsite just outside La Mole. The wind blew it down to Bormes-les-Mimosas only about 1km away.

During the evening we were all watching the flames on the ridge just behind us when Patricia, the camp owner, put out an "urgence" that we should be prepared to evacuate to the beach if the civil alarm went off. The gendarmerie were patrolling all night with updates.

It never came to that, but when we were down the beach the following day we watched the water bombing planes constantly skimming the water to recharge and then go off to bomb the fire. It was a bit "tense", shall we say.

I believe a British grandmother and granddaughter on the original campsite died that day.

Good that you are safe, Jan, and what a nice offer to make.

It's fascinating to watch the aircraft, picking up water. They are just so very careful and so very clever in how it's done. We used to watch them out to sea when we lived in the Algarve.

Had six more planes going over this afternoon,the heavy duty one's. Although the fire is in resolution, they're really going to try and keep it that way.