The Regional Government has reportedly declined an invitation from the Rural Fire Integrated Management Agency to join a national rural fire integrated management plan, which would lead to faster deployment of resources from the mainland to Madeira when fires occur. The news is being reported by Expresso.
According to this newspaper, Miguel Albuquerque has refused the invitation to join the National Plan for Integrated Management of Rural Fires 2020-2030 because, according to a source from the Regional Government, he considers that “autonomy cannot be put at risk”. Madeira has an Operational Plan for Combating Rural Fires, whose “main purpose is the coordination and intervention of the various civil protection agents”.
However, quoted by Expresso, a source from AGIF argued that this plan lacks “critical mass”, which it considers to be focused on actions focused on causes or vulnerability, and there is no strategy to govern and manage risk.