Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in a comfort hug during a visit in 2017 to the municipalities affected by the 15 October fires.
“A lot has changed,” says President of the Republic. But “still the rest of August, September and October,” recalls the head of state.
The President of the Republic does not see a possible comparison between the current place of fires in Portugal and the 2017 tragedy, scheduled especially by June, which made 65 deadly victims.
“In the framework of what is still today, There is no parallel With the drama of 2017, ”says Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in an interview with, published Friday.
“This situation is very different from what we live in in 2017 in two fundamental aspects: in number of dead and wounded,” says the head of state. “What we have today are more forest and agricultural fires, while in 2017 we had more forest and urban fires.”
According to the head of state, the main difference is in Strategy Change after 2017. “Changed a lot Regarding the past, ”he says.
“By 2017 we had a fight against forest fire fronts, privileging the defense of the forest; from there, we have had a strategy that favors the defense of human, animal and heritage victims in the first place,” says Marcelo.
Nonetheless, the president warns that the critical phase is far from over and calls for “past this period” to be made a “wide and deep reflection” on fire prevention and fighting.
