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For the fifth time, in this month of August, we have been faced with the death of firemen in the course of their duties.

Firewoman Cátia Pereira Dias, from the Fire Services Corporation of Carregal do Sal, passed away this morning when fighting a fire in the Caramulo hills. In this same fire fight other firemen and members of the GNR security services were injured, two of them seriously affected.

Equally today, four firemen suffered burns, two of them also seriously affected, in a fire in Vila Nova de Foz Coa; and in another fire, in Valença, a fireman was seriously injured.

In the dawn of 27 August, Bernardo Figueiredo, belonging in the Estoril Fire Services Corporation, passed away, having suffered serious injuries in a fire in the Caramulo hills. In this same fire and in the same fire fighting operation, practically at the side of Bernardo Figueiredo, firewoman Ana Rita Pereira, from the Alcabideche Fire Services Corporation, also suffered death.

In the beginning of the month fireman António Nuno Ferreira, from Miranda do Douro had died, as well as fireman Pedro Rodrigues, from Covilhã, on 15 August, both in the same operational fire fight.

Several other firemen have been injured in the course of their duties, some of them inspiring great care.

This is not the first year in which firemen have fallen in the course of their duties, evidence of the risks surrounding the profession they chose.

But we cannot allow that firemen’s deaths in forest fires become a habit.

The pressure of forest fires this August has been great, with occurrences, burnt out areas, relit fires and persistence that recall the worst years.

This pressure has also caused other victims. In Queirã, Vouzela, the Chairman of the Parish Council was seriously injured. A National Grid (REN) employee died in a worker’s accident when he was recovering the power lines damaged in a fire in Góis. And a mortal road accident happened in Madeira caused by the slewing of a military vehicle driving towards a fire.

All these human dramatic situations are deserving of our deep respect and regrets. We should humbly regard these, with the discretion, grievousness and proximity that each of these personal dramas call for. We should do so with no other objective than that of paying tribute to the singular example of dignity and unselfishness of those who – without asking for anything in exchange and in the pride of adult youth – gave their life or their physical integrity in the voluntary help to others.

Due to several reasons, well known and unfortunately renitent, the forest fires in this month of August have been especially hard on firemen and local peoples. And the pressure is not yet over. The time will come to take toll and to quietly analyse the facts, in order to learn what can be effectively and materially carried out in the future.

I address the Portuguese firemen and other civil protection agents a word of thanks for their notable performance and for their courage in the mission still lying before them. I thus equally address the local peoples, who have been able to find the strength to face the flames and aid the firemen.

29 August 2013
Aníbal Cavaco Silva