The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture, through the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN), in response to the orange alert issued by the IPMA for mountainous areas, warns the population to adopt cautious conduct in forest areas, in the mountains of Madeira, avoiding risky behavior that could endanger people and a heritage that belongs to everyone, the forest.
This reminds us, once again, that any type of burning or bonfire in forest areas is prohibited.
The use of stoves in leisure areas in forested areas is discouraged. If these facilities are used immediately after cooking, the embers and flames must be extinguished and the area must not be left while cooking.
Hiking in the highest peaks of Madeira Island is not recommended.
The forest road connecting Eira do Serrado to Pico do Areeiro will remain closed.
The use of equipment that may cause sparks (brush cutters with discs, chainsaws, tractors without exhaust protection, brush cutters, angle grinders, welding machines, among others) should be avoided.
The IFCN has reinforced forest surveillance during this period. “The Forest Police Corps is on the ground 24 hours a day, using recently acquired surveillance equipment such as drones and thermal cameras. Forest Firefighters, who are dedicated to surveillance during this period, and the Nature Watch Corps, which primarily conducts surveillance in protected areas,” states a statement sent by the secretariat.
In addition to this surveillance system, the IFCN has several first response vehicles on the ground with water ready to act, first response trucks strategically stationed at the highest points of the island and several tracked machines stationed in various locations on the island ready to act if necessary.
Remember that, despite being in the summer season, temperature, humidity, and wind conditions increase the risk of fire, so all behavior in forest and natural spaces must take this fact into account.