The Random Thread

[Diflower]

It's a horrible thought Ton, but yes, best to have a plan x

[JanB]

Seeing the photos of what it's like is really scary.

We had a few, down in the Algarve, but that was different, as we were in a town.

Alough 4 year ago, there was a massive fire near Santa Caterina - where we took you Di - and the ash took days to settle, down on us.

[Diflower]

Oh yes Santa Caterina is beautiful.

They showed on the local news tonight a fire started near Bournemouth by unbelievable idiots firing flares onto gorse just behind a row of beach huts...I despair.

[JanB]

Just seen that Di

[JanB]

There are 249 fires ongoing in Portugal at the moment

[JanB]

A huge fire up north has claimed the lives of 43 people, with another 59 injured. Awful news. 2 of the dead are bombeiros with another 2 missing.

Spain has sent over 2 aircraft and our military are also helping out.

[Kaz]

Wow Jan, what's going on? Is it bored kids, or do people go a bit doolally in that 44° heat!

[Diflower]

Just dreadful Ton, saw it on the news - and quite a few of those who died were in their cars trying to get away from it

[JanB]

This one, they think, was caused by the lightening bolt. it's very foresty up there, lots of pine and eucalyptus, which go up very quickly.

The government has recently put a ban on any more eucalyptus forests, as the paper industry is in decline. We have a forest behind us which won't be cut down for a few more years yet.

I keep an eye on a site which gives up-dates of where the fires are, in the whole of Portugal, about once an hour.

[JanB]

The whole of Portugal will have 3 days of mourning - the death total rises almost hourly and more fires are starting up there.

The government, banks and social services have organised aid, money and all locals are offering accommodation, water, food, stabling for horses, other animals, anything at all.

Makes you proud.

We're meeting the mayor on Wednesday and will ask what sort of protection/help or indeed anything at all, that we can all do here to help.

It is truly awful to see the pictures on the television and there are a heck of a lot of foreigners up there.